Darkness Beckons
by Alive at Midnight
Summary: Harry has a prophecy to fulfill, but he has plans of his own. How will he deal with a Dark Lord, a Head Girl, AND his N.E.W.T.s? AU, Slytherin Harry
1. Chapter One

Hello! Thanks for dropping in!

Before we roll into this story, I have a few things to post just in case I forget later...

**Disclaimer: **If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

**WARNING**: This story is rated M for violence and adult themes, including but no limited to bloody, cringing scenes and possible consensual and nonconsensual sexual encounters. You've been advised and to continue reading is your own choice and I hold no responsibility if you just don't like what you come across.

Ok, let's get on with it!

* * *

><p><strong>Title: <strong>Darkness Beckons

**Author:** Alive at Midnight

**Summary**: Harry has a prophecy to fulfill, but he has plans of his own. How will he deal with a Dark Lord, a Head Girl, AND his N.E.W.T.s?

**Chapter One**

Harry stood on the platform as students passed by. It was nighttime, just as it always is when they arrive at Hogwarts. This particular night was rather dark since clouds covered the sky, blocking out the moon and stars. There was a breeze cooling the night that had started out unseasonably warm. He tilted his head back, looking up into the dark expanse that was the sky. He took a deep breath, relishing in his momentary freedom.

"Move it, Potter. Don't want to miss the carriages, do we?"

Harry scowled as he watched the brown-haired, know-it-all Gryffindor pass him, purposely bumping into his shoulder. He glared at her back as she followed the rest of the students toward the carriages.

He couldn't believe he was stuck with that bitch for the year. He wasn't sure if he could go very long without strangling her. He could hex Draco for talking him into taking the Head Boy position. Hell, he couldn't even believe the old man had offered it to him. He knew it was some last desperate attempt to get him to "see the light." He knew the attempt was pointless.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Draco Malfoy standing behind him. He glared at the blonde and shook his hand off.

Draco sighed. "Sorry, mate. I know you don't want to deal with her, but it will be worth it."

Harry nodded, remembering why he had agreed. He needed his own room this year. Plans were coming together; events expected to occur. He needed a place to think and to get away from prying eyes. The Head Boy position offered this with the only hindrance being the Head Girl.

Hermione Granger was a bitch, plain and simple. She stuck her nose in other people's business, flaunting her perfect grades. She knew she was the teachers' favorite and number one in her class-and possibly the school. She had gained such a swelled head and she strutted around the school with it. Sure, some would call her sweet, but Harry knew the truth.

He had spent six years in her shadow as number two in the class. He knew she spent hours in the library, preventing him from ever beating her as his time was spent doing things other than studying. Draco used to try and tease him about being beat by a Mudblood. Harry had scowled at the word and promptly threatened to hex Draco if he ever used it around him again. Besides, Granger's heritage meant nothing to him. It was being outdone by a stuck-up little _bitch _that pissed him off.

"Come on," Draco said, interrupting his thoughts. "Let's catch the carriages before they're all gone."

Harry nodded, noticing the platform was nearly deserted. He followed slowly behind Draco, not really too eager to get to Hogwarts. By the time they reached the carriages, there was only one carriage left and Harry scowled as he saw it was already occupied with two third year Hufflepuffs. He slid in after Draco, whose scowl rivaled his own, and with a lurch, the carriage started toward the castle.

Harry kept his gaze focused on the path. The ride to the castle wasn't necessarily long, but when he was stuck with two cowardly Hufflepuffs, it was long enough. He didn't miss how they watched him with wide eyes filled with fear and awe. He wished he could pluck their eyes out just to stop their staring. He growled, causing his two admirers to jump and huddle in the corner furthest from him. Draco snickered quietly at their reaction.

As they approached the gates to the grounds, Harry noticed a few figures standing in the shadows of a tree several feet away from the gate. Harry nudged Draco and pointed the strange scene out. They couldn't tell who it was due to the darkness. Harry watched the figures intently, but Draco grew bored quickly and leaned back into his seat.

It wasn't until they were nearly at the tree that one of the figures broke away from the shadows and hurried to their carriage. Harry could make out the bulk of flesh that was Gregory Goyle as he approached the carriage. The carriage came to a halt when he was just a foot away.

"Harry, Draco, we've been waiting for you." Goyle gasped out between breaths.

Harry frowned. "What's going on?"

"It's happening now."

"Now?" Draco exclaimed, leaning closer.

"Yes, we have to go to the Shrieking Shack."

Harry and Draco shared a look before climbing out of the carriage. Draco started following Goyle, but Harry stopped after just a step and turned back to the carriage. The two Hufflepuffs were still watching him closely, though their expressions had morphed into confusion.

Harry pulled out his wand. Giving it a wave, he pointed it at them and whispered, "Obliviate." He was awarded with their vacant expressions. He smirked and spun around, jogging to catch up with the others.

The others chatted during their walk to the Shack, but Harry remained silent. He mulled over the reason behind such an ill-timed summons. Albus Dumbledore, who was extremely observant, would easily notice they were missing. The point was to be discreet while working on the inside. No doubt they would all be questioned later on where they had been. Harry didn't feel like going through an interrogation.

They entered the dark, dusty old shack. There was broken furniture and glass scattered around the old house. No one had ever bothered to clean it even though it was a frequent location of such meetings. The only thing that stood out was an old bowler hat in the middle of the floor that wasn't normally there.

"Guess this is it," Blaise Zabini said, pointing out the hat.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Draco said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Harry just rolled his eyes and gestured for everyone to take hold of the hat. He and the four other boys had been stuck with each other for six years with only summers to separate them. Draco had already known Blaise, Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe from before Hogwarts. Harry, having spent his childhood with a bunch of abusive Muggles, had only met them his first day.

Harry remembered the day he was sorted. There had been a collective gasp when the Sorting Hat had shouted, "Slytherin!" Jaws were hanging open as he walked to the Slytherin table. A glance to the front of the Great Hall confirmed the disappointed expression on Dumbledore's face. By morning, there were rumors circulating about Harry being You-Know-Who's second-in-command. Harry had rolled his eyes at this. He was _eleven_.

The Slytherins had been wary of him. His first night in his dorm had been particularly awkward. He had kept to himself, only talking to Draco, who was the lone person to actually make an effort to converse with him. It had taken until after Christmas for the others to start accepting him. He started gaining friends and was gradually pulled out of his recluse tendencies. He was grateful for Draco, though. He had proven time and again that he was a loyal best friend.

As soon as everyone was touching the hat, Harry tapped it with his wand. They instantly felt the familiar pull of the portkey before they were sucked away. Harry could feel himself bumping into Crabbe the whole way. He was relieved and a little sore in his side when they arrived at their destination.

They all stumbled slightly when their feet touched ground again. Their landing was much better than their first group trip years ago, which had them all landing in one big heap. It had been a very embarrassing entrance.

Harry and the others scanned their surroundings. They were outside in a large, open field. Trees dotted the field here and there, branches bare. The field was otherwise empty, and Harry wondered if they were early. They waited in silence, anxious about their meeting.

"Hey, Harry," Draco said, drawing his attention. He was pointing off into the distance where there seemed to be some activity.

There were lights in the distance, which had flickered on, illuminating the outline of a small town at the edge of the field. As Harry watched, a column of fire shot into the air. Several others followed soon after, creating a cloud of smoke over the town. Screams pierced the quiet of the night and Harry could see figures running through the town in the eerie glow of the flames. They all watched the frantic figures until they started seeing green lights streak through the air. Soon, there weren't any more screams or odd figures. Another light was sent straight up into the sky, and a large Dark Mark appeared above the town.

Suddenly, several loud pops sounded around them. Some of the guys jumped, but Harry didn't even flinch. In seconds, they were surrounded by several hooded figures. The others looked around in confusion, but Harry stared at the figure that stood before him.

"Harry, Harry, Harry." _His _voice seemed to curl around him.

Harry bowed slightly. "You summoned us, my Lord."

Harry watched as a pair of pale hands reached up and the hood was pushed back. He looked up into the snake-like face of Voldemort. "Harry, so nice that you could join us. You seemed to be quite busy this summer, haven't you?"

Harry mentally sighed. He knew this would come up. Disappearing without a trace had caused a bit of an uproar in the wizarding world. Apparently, the Boy Who Lived can't go away on an unauthorized vacation. Of course, it wasn't really a vacation...

Harry knew Voldemort still wondered if he was secretly Dumbledore's golden boy. Truthfully, he couldn't imagine following the old man. Harry didn't have any issues with the man. He had given Harry valuable information during the few meetings he had agreed to. He just hoped the wizard would stand aside when the time came for the truth to be exposed.

Harry shrugged. "I needed to get away for awhile. I hope no one expected me to stay with those Muggles once I was of age."

Harry stood still as Voldemort fixed his red eyes on his own. He strengthened his mental defenses, not wanting the dark wizard to get into his mind. Years of being mentally vulnerable to the greasy-haired head of his house had caused him to spend months in the library researching Occlumency and learning it in his dorm. After mastering that, he had taken to learning Legilimency. He wasn't as good as he wanted to be, but he was happy with the bit he could do.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "_Where were you, boy?_"

Harry heard the telltale undertone of hissing associated with parseltongue. He responded in kind. "_I was traveling. Didn't get to see much as a kid._"

"_You didn't answer my question!_" His hiss was more defined in his anger.

"_Why should the exploits of a teenage boy interest you?_"

"_Don't mock me, boy! I will end you if I must._" He bent forward, stopping inches from Harry's face.

Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. He knew the dark wizard wouldn't harm him. Despite his doubts, Voldemort relished in the fact he had gained the Boy Who Lived as his follower. The day the raven-haired boy obtained the Dark Mark would be a true victory for the snake.

Harry humbled himself. "_I'm sorry, my Lord. Had I known my disappearance would cause such a stir, I would not have left. I had simply grown bored of being stuck in that house. I assure you I was not with Dumbledore or any of his groupies._"

Voldemort watched him for a moment before straightening. "Fine," he said, reverting to a language the rest of the group could understand. "Fall in line." He directed this to the group of teenagers.

Harry and the others obliged, standing in the center of the Death Eater circle. Harry stood at the far left with Draco to his right followed by Blaise, Goyle, and Crabbe. Goyle and Crabbe shifted in nervousness. Blaise had his eyes trained on the ground. Draco was focused on what could only be his father, a figure standing just off to his right. Harry was the only one watching the Dark Lord.

"Congratulations, gentleman," Voldemort began. "You have made it to your final year of Hogwarts and your final year of training. You have shown me your potential, but now I need to see your loyalty." He fixed his eyes on Harry during the last bit. "You will each have missions to be completed over the course of the school year. I expect them to be completed without fault. I will not tolerate failure. Your missions will be communicated at a later time. For now, remember this night. You were brought here to get a preview of things to come should you succeed." They all threw a glance toward the town that was still crumbling under the flames. "Return to school. Hopefully, this time next year you will be among my inner circle."

Popping sounds filled the air again as the Death Eaters and Voldemort disapparated. Soon, the five teenagers were alone in the field once again. They stood there in silence, each in their own little world.

Harry and Draco were the first to move. They turned to each other and shared a look. They both knew that this year was _the _year. They both looked at the other three, quickly coming to their own decisions. This was the year where loyalties would be proven.

Harry picked up the discarded hat and motioned for the others to grab hold. He didn't know when or how he had become the leader of their group, but the boys usually followed his directions without complaint. Maybe being _the_ Harry Potter had something to do with it.

With a tap of his wand, they made the journey back to Hogsmeade, landing with a thud on the weak wooden floors of the Shack. Harry tossed the hat into the corner and led the group to the door of the tunnel that would take them to Hogwarts.

The walk back to school was not a quiet one. After the anxiety of the meeting had worn off, the boys were relaxed and chattier. Crabbe and Goyle complained about missing the feast while Draco and Blaise teased them about their eating habits. By the time they reached the tunnel, they were playfully shoving each other while Harry looked on in amusement. They were so distracted that they barely gave themselves time to get clear of the Whomping Willow before it started swinging its branches.

Their conversation had moved on to school as they crossed the grounds. Harry wasn't surprised that Crabbe and Goyle weren't taking many classes. Their O.W.L.s had been awful and they had done nothing to improve their scores last year. Draco and Blaise only studied hard because it was expected in their families.

Harry could see the large doors to the school were closed. He briefly wondered how long they would have to knock before someone answered when he heard the creak of the doors opening. Light spilled out onto the dark grounds lighting a path for the boys.

Harry was the first to go in and immediately caught the snarl of Argus Filch, who was holding the door open. Just behind him was Severus Snape, whose eyes were narrowed and calculating. Harry kept his expression neutral and his mental walls up. He stepped further into the Entrance Hall and the others followed quickly.

Filch shut the door with a sneer before walking off. Snape let his gaze travel over the group before speaking. "My office. Now." He spun around and stalked down the hall expecting them to follow.

Harry once again led the way. The group passed the Great Hall, where the clinking of silverware could still be heard. He and Draco snorted when they heard Goyle's stomach rumble. A quick glance in revealed that dessert was nearly finished. Harry had to ignore the soft rumble of his own stomach as he caught a whiff of the undoubtedly delicious meal.

They picked up their pace as they continued to the dungeons. Snape had already disappeared from sight. As usual, the air became cooler as they moved deeper into the castle. Harry found the colder temperature refreshing after spending so much time out in the warm night.

Harry knocked on Professor Snape's door and opened it without waiting for permission. Snape was sitting in a dark green chair behind a large wooden desk. There were two black chairs situated across from him. The walks were stone and a large black area rug covered the cement floor. A large bookcase stretched across the wall behind Snape and was filled with hundreds of books.

Draco and Blaise took the seats in front of the bare desk. Harry and the others found places to lean against the wall. They all watched Snape, who in turn watched them.

"You five," he started, "were counted as missing during the feast. I don't need to tell you that explanations are expected."

"We missed the carriages," Draco said. "Got distracted when those two-" Here, he gestured to Crabbe and Goyle. "-started goofing off. The walk back took longer than expected."

Snape nodded. "A plausible excuse. The Dark Lord will be pleased. However, I am expected to give out punishments. You will all serve detention on Monday at eight." He pulled out his wand and tapped his desk. It was soon covered with sandwiches, pumpkin juice, and honey buns. He stood up and gestured to the table. "Eat. You have twenty minutes. Potter, Professor McGonagall is expecting you in her office in ten minutes. I wouldn't keep her waiting." He moved swiftly around the desk, escaping out the door.

Crabbe immediately reached for a sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth. Goyle did the same.

Blaise flipped his legs over the arm of the chair, watching the two pig out with a look of disgust. "I can't believe he gave us detention."

Draco rolled his eyes as he poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "It could've been worse. We do have to keep up appearances."

"But he'll make us actually work!"

Draco drained his glass. "Do you expect anything different?"

Blaise shrugged and reached for a sandwich. "Hey Harry, you going to eat anything?"

Harry pushed himself off the wall and grabbed a sandwich. He walked around the desk, taking a seat in Snape's chair. He bit into the sandwich and chewed slowly, quickly becoming lost in his thoughts.

Goyle shoved another sandwich in his mouth. "So, what-" He stopped at the looks of disgust coming from Draco and Blaise and quickly swallowed the sandwich. He tried again. "So, what do you think we'll have to do?"

"I hope it's not hard," Crabbe said before taking a gulp of pumpkin juice.

"Anything that requires thinking would be hard for you," Blaise said and quickly moved to dodge the punch Crabbe threw at him.

"But, we'll help each other, right?" Goyle asked, looking to the others for confirmation.

The others began to nod, but when they looked to Harry, their leader, they were met with a shaking head.

Harry sighed and set his half-eaten sandwich on the table. "We can't work together on this one, guys. We each have to prove ourselves. The tasks we receive will be set up to test our individual wills. The Dark Lord will find our weaknesses and will use them against us."

They all sat in silence as the reality of the situation kicked in. Harry watched them for a moment before standing up. He walked over to Goyle and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "In the mean time, we'll help you get something other than a Troll on your N.E.W.T.s." At this, the others laughed. "Well, I'm off to McGonagall's. I'll see you four in the morning."

"Good luck with that bitch, Harry," Blaise said as Harry reached the door. "Maybe you can put a leash on her and lock her up in a crate."

Harry smirked. "I wish." He turned and walked out of the room.

He strolled through the halls, not in any hurry to make it to the office of the Head of Gryffindor. Thoughts whirled through his mind. He had a task to complete for the Dark Lord. He had to move forward with his plans. He had to share a dorm with a girl who was insufferable. And he had to study for his N.E.W.T.s. He sighed as he stopped in front of a door and ran a hand through his hair. It was going to be a long year.

He knocked on the door and waited for the stern "Enter" that soon followed. He pushed the door open and was immediately met with warmth.

McGonagall had a fire going that heated the large office. The room was decorated in the red and gold of Gryffindor. Minerva McGonagall sat behind a large mahogany desk that was covered in papers. The large chair she was in was a crimson color. Across from her were two miniature versions of her chair, one of which was already occupied by the Head Girl. Paintings lined the walls and a small bookcase was next to the door.

Harry took a seat in the vacant chair. He ignored Hermione who seemed to silently agree to do the same. McGonagall watched the two with pursed lips.

"Mr. Potter, you missed the feast and you were late for this meeting. I hope this will not be your behavior as Head Boy." Harry remained silent. "You are both here because I need to go over a few things with you before I show you to your dorm.

"As Head Boy and Head Girl, you are to lead and set examples for the rest of the students. That means behavior like tonight, Mr. Potter, cannot be tolerated. You will have patrol duty at night, more so than what you were assigned as prefects. The other prefects have been instructed to look to you two for guidance before seeking a teacher or the headmaster. I expect you to assist with any matters that are brought up and to seek proper authority when necessary. I also expect you not to abuse your position. Am I clear?" The two teenagers nodded.

"Good. Monthly patrol schedules will be provided to you. You will hold monthly meetings with the prefects in order to pass on any necessary information such as the patrol schedule. You are not restricted by a curfew, but keep in mind that others are. You are not allowed to wander the grounds past curfew. You have access to the Restricted Section of the library, but may only enter after you have notified Madam Pince. Are there any questions?" They shook their heads.

"Alright," McGonagall said and stood up. She walked around her desk to the door. "I will show you to your dorm. Follow me."

Hermione was first to get up and follow the deputy headmistress. Harry followed leisurely after them. He lost track of the twist and turns they took as they moved, but he figured he'd find the location on the map he had lifted off a certain pair of redheaded twins a few years ago.

They stopped at a portrait of Phineas Nigellus. The portrait was larger than any others Harry had seen of the ex-headmaster. When his eyes landed on the two students, Phineas growled and glared at them.

"Hello, Phineas," McGonagall greeted the portrait.

"Minerva, I refuse to guard two teenagers," he immediately exclaimed. "I thought my portrait was moved for something important, not some demeaning position such as this."

"You've already agreed, Phineas. It's too late."

"No one informed me of the details of the situation! Couldn't a statue or a still-life work?"

"Actually, I'd prefer the statue," Harry spoke up.

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly. You two will just have to deal with it. There will be no changes to the guard. Now, will you two come up with a password for Phineas to verify so we can get on with this?"

"Quidditch," Harry stated.

"No way," Hermione said vehemently. "We'll use mandrake."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "Serpent."

"Merlin, no. Where do you come up with such awful ideas?"

"Yours aren't any better, Granger."

"Just because I choose not to use words that only a person with half a brain would come up with-"

"_Half a brain_? Listen here, b-"

"Enough!" McGonagall cut in, effectively silencing the two teenagers.

Phineas looked on in amusement as he stroked his beard. "I've changed my mind. I'll guard them. This could very well get interesting."

McGonagall sighed, clearly exasperated. "Since you two can't agree, I'll set it for you. The password will be Cornish pixie." Both of them groaned as the portrait swung open to reveal a stairwell. "In you go." She let them walk in first before following.

The two teenagers had stopped just at the top of the short stairwell, looking around the room in awe. They stood at the entrance of a large, circular common room. Beige carpeting covered the entire floor. A brown couch and two large brown armchairs were situated in the center of the room surrounding a large wooden table. Across from this set up was a fireplace large enough to stand in. Behind the couch were a small, empty bookcase and a small table with a wizard radio on it. There were two doors on either side of the room.

McGonagall placed a hand on each of their backs and pushed them further into the room. "Miss Granger, your room is on the right. Mr. Potter, yours is to the left. I trust I can leave you two without you hexing each other in the middle of the night." They each have a vague nod as they headed to their respective doors and McGonagall slipped out unnoticed.

Harry pushed the door open to his room and stepped inside. The room was smaller than the common room, but much bigger than anything he was used to. It was oddly shaped. The wall attached to the common room arched with the curve of the other room, but the rest was squared off. A large king-sized bed was centered on the far wall with a black duvet covering it and dark green and silver pillows propped against the headboard. His trunk was at the foot of his bed. A desk was pushed against the wall to the right and a window with dark green curtains was next to it. Harry couldn't see much in the dark night. A black armchair was against the wall to the left with a small fireplace on one side of it and on the other side was another door that stood ajar.

Harry hurried over to this door and gaped at what he saw. He had his own bathroom. The floor was a dark grey tile and the walls were a soft white. In the center was a pool that resembled a miniature version of the one found in the prefects' bathroom. A long bathroom counter with a sink was on the wall to his right and a decent-sized shower was on the wall to his left. He didn't have to go check that the toilet was hidden behind the door on the far wall.

He turned back to his room and walked to his door, which he had left open. Just as he was about to close the door, he saw Hermione standing at her own door about to do the same. He caught her eye unintentionally and they shared a glare. They both reached for their doors and slammed them shut.

Exhausted, Harry kicked off his shoes and flopped onto his bed. It had truly been a tiring day, starting with the riot he had nearly caused when he showed up at Platform 9 3/4 for the train after being missing for a month. He only hoped the weekend would be far more relaxing because he didn't want to be stressed out on the first day of classes. His last thought before he drifted to sleep was that he was glad he had declined the position of Quidditch Captain or he'd never get any sleep this year.

& ! & ! & ! & !

Please review! They make for good motivation.

~Alive~


	2. Chapter Two

Helloooooooo Readers! It's been quite awhile, hasn't it? Sorry, I had educational obligations that took up most of my free time. If you had taken the time to check my profile, you would already know this. FYI: I do update that even if I can't update the story. Anywho, now that my educational distraction is over (WOOT!), I'm back to writing! This has actually been ready for awhile, but I wasn't happy with it and only got to edit it recently. For those of you looking for an update to my other story, _Come Back_, don't worry. It's coming.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

By the second week of class, Harry was beyond annoyed. He had spent the last week fighting or avoiding his counterpart. He knew living with her would be difficult, but he didn't think it would be impossible. He had known he didn't have long before he reached his breaking point.

That first Saturday he had gone to breakfast and spent the morning with his friends. He had returned to his dorm, expecting to spend a relaxing evening in his room. However, when he reached his common room, he was met by several stacks of books and Granger sorting through them as she filled the bookcase.

Later, he would admit that the following events had been his fault. If he had just kept his mouth shut, maybe he could have had that relaxing afternoon...

As it was, he was a Slytherin and so by nature had to speak. "Sweet Merlin, Granger, are you such a reject that you have so much time to read this many books?"

In hindsight, he also decided it was best not to insult the Head Girl's bookworm tendencies.

She paused in the process of lifting a rather thick book. She slowly raised her head and fixed him with a fiery glare. Harry wouldn't have been surprised to see sparks shoot out from her eyes. She placed a hand on her hip. "Well, at least I don't spend all of my time on a broom. What is it, Potter? Do you like actually feeling something substantial between your legs?"

Harry's eyes flashed before he caught sight of a certain stack of books. "You are just upset because the closest you'll get to having sex is reading about it." He emphasized his point by picking up one of the books from a stack of romance novels and tossing it at her.

Her book hit her in the stomach and fell to the ground with a thud. She didn't spare it a glance as she whipped her wand out and pointed it at him. "Throwing someone else's belongings is not nice, Potter. Throwing _my_ belongings is a mistake you should not have made."

He had pulled out his wand as soon as he saw her reach for hers. Now, he had it aimed right in the middle of her chest. "Pointing a wand at _me_ is a mistake, Granger."

They remained there, wands pointed at each other and neither making a move. Hermione frowned after a moment and started to lower her wand. Smirking, Harry followed suit. "Good, Granger. I'm glad to see you're putting that intelligence to good use." The next moment, he had to dive to his right to dodge a hex.

"You, Potter, are not some prince that everyone should bow down to." More prepared, he easily blocked the next hex she threw at him. "I am sick of your arrogance and your insults and I _will not _put up with it this year! _Furnunculus_!"

He blocked the jinx as he straightened up. "What about _your _arrogance, Granger? You strut around this school as if you're better than everyone because of your test scores. Always so eager to answer every question with your hand in the air like some twitching fool. How much ass have you actually kissed in the last six years, hmm?"

Hermione growled before she began shouting spells. Several jets of light shot towards Harry, which he easily deflected. He quickly became bored.

"Is that all you can do, Granger? Well, this is a waste of time. _Petrificus Totalus_." Hermione's body went rigid and she fell back onto the floor, wand still clutched in her hand. He went to stand over her and looked down into her glaring eyes. "You'll have to try harder if you want to fight me, Granger." He could see the fury in her eyes. He couldn't help the smirk that formed. "I think I'll leave you here for awhile."

He stepped over her, intending to head to his room. But, after a couple of steps something slammed into his back hard. He spun around to see what had hit him and was immediately pelted by three thick books. He looked around the room to see several books lifting into the air, preparing to zoom toward him. He glanced at Hermione, finally focusing on the wand in her hand. He was in the process of throwing up a shield when a book slammed into his face, snapping his head to the right. He barely had time to register the stinging in his cheek before Hermione's entire library began attacking him.

He didn't have time to put up his shield once the onslaught started. The books were constantly finding some part of his body to hit. He thought the attack would stop once she ran out of books, but he found that the books that had fallen to the floor after hitting him would simply lift back into the air only to make contact with his body moments later. He put his hands up, hoping to stop anymore contact with his face since he was unable to stop the attack after one of the books had knocked his wand out of his hand.

In his frustration, his anger grew. He couldn't fathom how the woman had gotten the hang of silent spells already. It was just one more thing the bitch would flaunt in class. One more thing that he was better at, but couldn't show to anyone. One more thing to hate about his life.

He didn't realize he had lost control until the fire had begun spreading. A fire shield had formed in front of him, blurring his view of the room. The books closest to him had caught on fire and the fire was quickly spreading to the rest of the literature in the room. McGonagall had also entered the room, which he had completely missed. She had Hermione freed from the body bind, and they were both standing by the door away from the flames. McGonagall was shouting at him, but the loud roaring in his ear made it impossible to hear her. Hermione looked on in fascination, seemingly unconcerned about her book collection.

He closed his eyes and concentrated. Sixteen years of living with the worst Muggle family ever had built his patience to incredible levels of tolerance. He couldn't believe this one girl could make him lose it. He followed his meditation practices he had picked up over the last few summers, slowing his breathing and gaining control of his emotions. Soon, he felt the heat disappear and slowly opened his eyes.

The fire was gone, but left behind was a charred mess. Many books around the room were ruined, reduced to piles of ash. The carpet and furniture closest to Harry were burned, blackened with barely a trace of how it looked before the fire touched it. A black scorch mark covered the wall behind Harry, stretching toward the ceiling.

McGonagall stared at him with wide eyes. Several times she opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly shut it. Finally, she managed three words. "Hospital Wing. Now." She spun around and hurried out the common room.

He didn't move for a moment. Hermione still held an amazed expression as she watched him. She didn't move until she saw him shift toward the door. She followed him out the common room, both of them ignoring the amused inquiries from Phineas.

They walked in silence. Harry tried to ignore Hermione, but her intense gazes when she glanced at him were unnerving. It was only minutes ago when they were at each other's throats, and now she looked as if she had just found a new book. Harry didn't know what this meant for him, but he was grateful when they reached the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomphrey separated them so she could look them over.

His gratefulness hadn't lasted long, though. Madam Pomphrey had insisted on keeping them both overnight. Hermione had a few bruises and a concussion from hitting the floor too hard. Harry's body was covered in bruises, and he was sure a few other scars hadn't gone unnoticed by the nurse. To add to his annoyance, McGonagall had fetched Dumbledore, and he had to endure lectures from both of them as well as an interrogation from the headmaster.

As punishment, they were forced to spend the entire Sunday in the library helping Madam Pince. Doing inventory and sorting books is not how he planned to spend his Sunday. He purposely worked on the opposite end of the library from Hermione and, when they were finally let go, he walked back to their dorms and retreated into his room without a word.

Now, it was his last class of the day and he was ready to hex each of his professors. Apparently, either Dumbledore or McGonagall had spoken with the professors. In each class he shared with Hermione-which happened to be all of them-he was forced to sit next to her. He had to grit his teeth every time she bumped him when she raised her hand to answer a question.

On top of this, word of their fight had spread through the school like wildfire. He had to endure glares and taunts from the Gryffindors for trying to harm their precious Head Girl. The Slytherins weren't making it any easier as they questioned him on how the Muggleborn had come out unscathed.

When class was dismissed, he rushed out of the classroom and to the Great Hall. He was eager to eat so he could get away from everyone for awhile. He took a seat towards the end of the table near the doors. He wasn't surprised when he was joined by Blaise and Draco.

"So," Blaise started. He filled his plate, "are you going to tell us exactly what went on between you and the Mudblood?"

Harry growled. "We fought. That's it. Just drop it."

Blaise glared at Harry in response, but remained silent.

Draco looked around. "Has either of you seen Crabbe or Goyle?"

Harry shook his head. Blaise shrugged. "They were in Charms this morning."

At that moment, the two hulking figures entered the Great Hall. They spotted the group and hurried over. Harry noticed Goyle looked a little pale as they sat down.

Draco was watching them too. "What have you two been up to?"

Goyle remained silent, but Crabbe spoke up. "Goyle has gotten his task," he explained quietly.

"Really?" Blaise leaned in. "What is it?"

Goyle shook his head and Crabbe elaborated. "Not allowed to tell."

"Oh, come on," Blaise pushed. "You can give us a little hint."

Harry shook his head this time. "No, if we're not supposed to tell, we shouldn't. He'll know if we do. I told you we had to do this alone."

Blaise frowned. "Fine. Can you at least tell us how bad it is?"

Goyle answered this time. "Could be worse."

Blaise stared at him in disappointment. "That's it?"

Goyle shrugged and finally reached for food. There was a pause before the conversation turned to Quidditch. As Goyle filled his plate, Harry and Draco shared a look. After so many years, they had learned to read each other. Plus, Draco was the only one that knew the extent of his plans. So when Draco gave an imperceptible nod, Harry had no doubt he understood the gravity of the situation. He returned his attention to his food, his mind a mental whirlwind.

He easily finished his food before the others and hurried to make his escape before the others could question him. He was lost in his thoughts as he made the familiar trek to the library. He had plenty of research to do, and he decided not to waste another moment in getting started.

Apparently, others had different ideas for him.

He was just about to turn the corner to the corridor the library was located on when he was grabbed by the back of his cloak and pulled into an empty classroom. He cursed his inattention since he missed the presence of the intruder. The room was windowless and pitch black, so he couldn't see who had grabbed him. In his confusion, he didn't fight back as the stranger pushed against him.

He finally came to his senses when he realized he was against a wall. He was preparing to shove the stranger off of him when he felt a pair of lips on his. Realization washed over him and he placed his hands on the person's chest and pushed hard. He heard a shriek emitted from his attacker as she landed on the floor. He didn't waste any time in grabbing his wand and activating a light at the tip of it. The light stung his eyes a little, but he saw what he needed to see—and what he didn't want to see.

Pansy Parkinson was sprawled out on the floor and glaring up at him. She was propped up on her forearms with her legs bent, but spread apart. Her robe had come open, exposing every inch of skin. Harry twisted his face in disgust and moved to walk around her, but she grabbed his ankle. He glared down at her and shook his foot, trying to dislodge her hand. He had to kick her in her side a few times before she finally let go.

He bent to pick up his bag, which had landed near the door. "Bloody hell, Parkinson. Don't you have any decency?"

"Oh, shut it, Potter," she said as she pushed herself off the ground. "Get off your high horse. I know you're a little virgin." She reached forward, lightly touching his arm, but he flinched away. "Don't you want to change that?"

Harry took another step away from her. "What you think you know is irrelevant. Don't touch me again. And if you try to pull another stunt like this, I will make sure no man will ever touch you again."

Her eyes widened and she didn't stop him when he left the room.

He made it to the library a few minutes later. He took a cursory glance around the large room. There weren't many students there, which wasn't a surprise since it was the start of term. He turned in the direction of Madam Pince's desk. His path was blocked by two teenagers with flaming red hair.

"Potter," the taller one, Ronald Weasley, said. His younger sister, Ginny, was standing next to him with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Weasel, Weaselette," Harry said and tried to step around them, but Ron blocked him again. Harry sighed. "What do you want?"

"Stay away from Hermione," Ron said, narrowing his eyes.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What are you? Her bodyguard?"

"No, we're her friends," Ginny spoke up.

Harry smirked. "You may be a friend, but we both know Weasel is just a little puppy looking to hump the Head Girl."

Ron's ears reddened. "You don't know what you're talking about, Potter."

Harry looked at Ron in amusement. "I know exactly what I'm talking about. But, don't worry. The fact that even Granger won't spread her legs for you will be our little secret."

Ron was too flustered to speak, but Ginny took a step closer. "Just stay away from her."

Harry stared at her, all traces of amusement gone. "I would like nothing more than to put countries between us. But, what you and your fellow cowardly lions seem to ignore is that I am Head Boy and she is Head Girl. By definition, we unfortunately have to work together. So stop wasting my time with pointless threats." Neither stopped him as he stepped around them and headed toward Madam Pince's desk.

The librarian sat behind her desk perusing a short roll of parchment. Harry was willing to bet it was the list of missing books he and Hermione had composed the day before. Her expression was etched into a frown, which didn't disappear as she looked up at Harry.

"How can I help you today, Mr. Potter?"

"I need to access the Restricted Section."

Her frown deepened and he could see the suspicion in her eyes. "For what reason?"

"My Potions homework. I want to make sure I've covered all angles."

Her suspicion didn't disappear, but she motioned toward the intended area. "Not one book is to be removed from the Restricted Section. If you need a table, there are some located in the back."

Harry turned and made his way into the Restricted Section. He stepped into the roped-off area and disappeared within the stacks, visibly relaxing once he was away from prying eyes. He leaned back against the bookshelf and took a deep breath before he began his search.

He wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for but had a general idea of what to aim for. His excuse for needing the Restricted Section wasn't a complete lie. He did need to look into potions, but it had nothing to do with his homework. He spent half an hour peering at different titles on the bookshelves. The Restricted Section wasn't a large area, but the selection wasn't lacking. When he stopped to find a table, he had only gone through a third of the section and only had three books to show from his effort.

There were three desks in the back of the Restricted Section. Harry doubted the tables were used often and could only assume the house-elves were the reason dust wasn't covering the bare tables. He picked the middle table and sat down, spreading the books out in front of him. He pulled out parchment and a quill and immediately opened the first book, _Moste Potente Potions_.

He ignored the gruesome pictures illustrating the effects of the potions and focused on the purpose of each potion. He could dismiss many of the potions as they did not pertain to his situation at all. He felt his disappointment rise with each useless potion he read. Logically, he supposed he had been thinking too optimistically when he had hoped finding the solution would be easy. When he finished flipping through the book an hour later, he was somewhat satisfied to have notes on four possible potions filling his parchment.

He snapped the book shut, absently pushing it to the side. He extended his arms in the air and stretched, raising his eyes from the table and taking a look around. He nearly jumped when his eyes landed on Hermione.

She was standing between two bookshelves with a hand clutching the strap of her bag. She had a slight frown with her eyes trained on him. Her eyes were vacant, and she was biting her lip as she was deep in thought. Harry was slightly disturbed at the realization that she had been standing there for a few minutes at least.

"Granger, what are you doing back here?"

Hermione jumped as her eyes refocused on Harry. She blushed slightly. "Madam Pince told me where to find you. We have a meeting tonight with the prefects. Or did you forget?"

Harry groaned. "Can't you run the meeting without me?"

Hermione frowned at this and placed a hand on her hip. "Sure, I can. I would love the opportunity to report that you're neglecting your Head Boy duties. With any luck, a new Head Boy will be appointed by the end of the week." She spun around on her heels and headed toward the exit.

Harry was reluctant to follow after her. He found a spot on a shelf nearby so he could easily find the books next time. Then, he packed his bags and went to follow Hermione. She was already at the library doors by the time he had exited the Restricted Section. He didn't try to catch up with her.

The meeting was held in an unused classroom on the second floor. By the time Harry had arrived, Hermione was already standing at the front of the room and the prefects were scattered at various desks. A few were holding conversations among themselves, but fell silent when Harry entered the room. He noticed the youngest Weasley glaring at him, but he easily ignored her. He made his way to the front of the classroom and took a seat on top of the large desk there. Hermione looked at him and rolled her eyes when he gestured for her to start.

She turned toward the waiting Prefects and clapped her hands together. "Alright, we'll try to make this as short as possible. I have copies of the patrol schedule for you, which I will hand out at the end of this meeting. Some of you have already been scheduled to start tomorrow night. Don't be late and don't skip it. The professors will be making sure you are following through with your duty.

"When you're not patrolling, you're expected to keep the peace. If you have any problems or complaints, you are to come to either me or Po—Harry. We will be able to take care of the situation or can go to Professor McGonagall or the headmaster to get the problem resolved. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

A few hands were raised in the air. Hermione gestured to the Slytherin female fifth-year prefect, Astoria Greengrass. "Is fighting with Harry considered 'keeping the peace'?"

The other hands lowered, causing Hermione to frown. "That is really not—"

"I mean, if our Head Girl is not setting a good example on behavior, why should we be expected to do so?"

"Now, really—"

"She's right," the Slytherin male sixth-year prefect, Edgar Harper, butted in. "If we followed your example, then we should start fighting in the halls."

At this point, Ginny jumped up and glared at the Slytherins. "She didn't start it!"

Edgar rolled his eyes. "Of course, she did. She started it just by existing."

"Guys—" Hermione tried to intervene.

Ginny's counterpart, Colin Creevey, jumped up as well. "Don't insult her!"

The Slytherins laughed. "You roar like a cub, little lion," Edgar taunted.

The room was soon divided. The Gryffindors were arguing with the Slytherins with the Ravenclaws chiming in at times. The Hufflepuffs sat off to the side, watching the activity in the fearful interest. Hermione looked anxious as the group continued to ignore her attempts to stop them. Harry leaned back on the desk, propping himself up on his forearms as he looked on in amusement. He didn't make any effort to stop them.

After a few minutes, Hermione spun around to face him, fists clenched at her sides. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

Harry shrugged. "This is actually entertaining."

"This is not how we should conduct our meetings. If every meeting ends with an argument, we're going to have a tough year. Your housemates keep baiting mine. Get them to stop."

He arched an eyebrow. "Is that your way of asking for help, Granger? Because if it is, I suggest you practice more."

Hermione gritted her teeth before she relaxed her tense stance and took a deep breath. "Po-Harry, can you please stop them?"

There was a pause before Harry smirked and slid off the desk. He turned his attention to the prefects and raised his voice so they could hear. "Everyone shut it!" The response was instantaneous as everyone stopped and turned to look at him. Hermione inwardly groaned at witnessing the power he held. "What happens between me and Granger is none of your business. Do your job and there will be no trouble." His tone held no room for argument.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. She waved her wand and pieces of parchment floated from the stack on the desk and into the hands of the awaiting prefects. "Here are your schedules. You are dismissed."

There was a bit of shuffling as the prefects hurried to get out of the room. Harry followed closely behind them, intending to get to his dorm and finish his homework. Hermione grabbed her bag, slipping the strap over her shoulder, and hurried after him. She caught up to him halfway up the next corridor.

"Potter, wait."

Harry didn't slow down. As they rounded another corner, she reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. She stepped in front of him, blocking his path. He glared at her and tried to pull her hand off his arm, but she gripped tighter.

"What is it, Granger?"

"We need to talk."

"Can't this wait?" He jerked his arm, but she still hung on.

"No, it can't. My position is on the line and I will not let you jeopardize it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She finally let go of his arm and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Our fight. It happened in our common room and yet the whole school knows. You saw what happened in that classroom. The others are ignoring my authority."

"That's not my problem."

She smirked. "It will be." She placed a hand on her hip. "Has it occurred to you that if they don't come to me, the prefects will come to you?" She took pleasure in the scowl that appeared on his face. "I know you didn't take this position for the honor or the responsibility. You don't want those prefects on your back."

There was a scuffle behind them and they both turned to see two second-year Hufflepuffs come racing around the corner. They skidded to a halt after they spotted Harry and Hermione, but Harry had already transferred his scowl to them. Their eyes widened in fear.

"No running in the halls," Harry growled, turning to face them fully. "Twenty points from Hufflepuff. Now, get to your common room. It's nearly curfew." The younger students lowered their heads and hurried past them.

Hermione met his gaze when he turned to look at her. "A little harsh, don't you think?"

He shrugged. "No." He stepped around Hermione and continued to walk toward their dorm, but his pace was slower so she could keep up. She immediately fell into step next to him. "So, what are you suggesting to rectify this situation?"

"A truce, of sorts. No more fighting. We should show each other respect. We don't need rumors spreading about us trying to kill each other. You can keep being your scary self to everyone. They'll be less inclined to go to you and will have to seek my help."

"Why are you so interested in being their leader?"

Hermione shrugged and her voice took on an air of nonchalance. "No real reason. Maybe I just want to see a Slytherin grovel at the feet of a Mudblood."

Harry cut his eyes toward her and smirked. They had reached the corridor leading to their common room. As they neared Phineas's portrait, Harry noticed Draco stepping out of the shadows.

Harry stopped a few feet away from the blonde and turned to Hermione. "I'll think about it." He stepped up to the portrait, gave the password, and motioned for Draco to follow him. By the time Hermione stepped into the common room, they had already disappeared into his bedroom.

Inside his bedroom, Harry had dropped his bag on the floor, summoning his notes from earlier as he took a seat on his bed. Draco lounged in the chair with one leg resting over the arm of the chair. He watched as Harry began spreading his notes across the bed in front of him.

"What did you find?" Draco reached over and picked up the closest piece of parchment.

"Just three potions. They're helpful, but they don't do exactly what I need them to do. I did say we would have to brew a new potion altogether."

"It's dangerous though. We don't know what the exact results would be."

"I know. That's why I've been corresponding with Andrews. I'd go to Snape, but I don't trust the git."

"Have you heard from Andrews?"

"No, but I'm not surprised. What I need is very specific. I think only Snape would be able to finish sooner than Andrews."

"Maybe you should ask him. Time isn't something we have much of."

"No. Who knows who will find out if we give Snape even the slightest hint."

Draco sighed. "So, what's the plan?"

"We still have time. I'm going to go through every book I can in the library so we can look them over." Harry paused, eyes roving over his notes. "I knew he would get Goyle first. His task will be nothing compared to ours."

"What do you think he'll have us do?"

"I don't know, but he's not blind." Harry looked over at Draco. "He wants our loyalty. And he knows yours is not with him-not directly, anyway. He'll focus on that for your task."

Draco nodded. "What about you?"

Harry's eyes flashed. "He wants the wizarding world to know I follow him. He'll find the biggest way to announce it."

& ! & ! & ! & !

Please Review! Really, I won't yell at you for leaving a review! I'm more inclined to do that if you don't!

~Alive~


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: **If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

Okay, I know it's been awhile. I had this split up in different places (notebook, comp, phone, random sheets of paper) and I've finally put it together. Sorry, it's so short. I tried to lenghten it to normal length, but honestly I got out everything I needed to for this chapter. I'll try to be a bit quicker with the next chapter. Okay, on with the story!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Harry stared at the parchments spread before him. One month of searching through the Restricted Section and he wasn't closer to his goal. He had been sure that this would be the ideal method to achieve his task. But finding the right potion was proving to be difficult. Some potions had individual properties that would be helpful to him. But he knew to combine these potions would be risky, dangerous, and fucking idiotic to do for someone of his skill. He had reluctantly resigned himself to waiting for a reply from Andrews, but his patience was wearing thin.

He looked up when the common room door swung open. Hermione walked in, sliding the strap of her bag off her shoulder as she moved. Harry frowned as she flopped down into an empty chair. That was another thing that was proving to be difficult...well, maybe not difficult, but definitely complicated. Their so-called truce was still going, much to his surprise. He found himself having more time to research since they had each made it clear to the prefects that reporting to Hermione was their only option. The Slytherins hadn't been thrilled about that.

On a different note, Harry found it odd being civil with the Gryffindor. Too many years had been spent hating each other. Now, it was rare if they were able to go a day without seeing each other. They were forced to be partners in every class as a result of McGonagall's meddling. Their head duties had them spending many nights walking the corridors together, looking for rule-breakers. On weekends, they both took refuge in the back of the Restricted Section or in their common room.

At first, it had been a silent forced companionship. Neither one felt comfortable holding a conversation with the other. It was hard enough not to throw out insults at every moment. The first few patrols had been silent and awkward. It was Hermione who had chosen to break their vow of silence. She had started rambling about their Transfiguration project and Harry found himself joining in, just to fill the strange silence. He's still amazed that he could hold a conversation with the Head Girl for more than five minutes. They still argued, but they didn't rush off to their separate corners when it was over.

They weren't on a first-name basis yet, but they were able to comfortably remain in the same room together for more than a few minutes. Hence the reason why it wasn't completely awkward when Hermione decided to sit on the floor and spread out her homework. She offered him a small smile before she buried herself in her work.

Harry turned back to the parchments in front of him. He contemplated returning to the library, but dismissed that thought immediately. He had already gone through all of the books there twice and did not feel he could find anything new. He had several library books cracked open in front of him as he was considering different avenues.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice Hermione looking over his shoulder until she spoke. "That doesn't look like our homework."

Harry jumped and quickly gathered the parchments and slid them under the books. "It's none of your business, Granger."

"It seems awfully important. I've seen you staring at them more than once."

"It doesn't involve you. Why don't you go back to your own work?"

She walked around the couch and flopped down beside him. "Don't act like that, Potter. This seems to be a big problem for you. If you frown anymore, you'll develop frown lines by the end of the year. Now, what is it? Maybe I can help."

"Granger, I'm trying to be civil, but if you don't back off I will hex you."

"I'm just offering my help."

"Well, I didn't ask for it."

Hermione huffed. "Fine. I won't offer it again." She stood up, gathered her things from the floor, and retreated to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Harry growled, massaging his temples in frustration. She may have been trying to help, but she was pushy. He also doubted she could keep her mouth shut and hoped she hadn't seen anything too important when she had been reading over his shoulder.

He had spent more hours than he would have liked pouring over information with Draco joining him on more than one occasion. At this point, he realized his hopes rested on the findings of the American potions master from which he was eagerly waiting correspondence.

Sighing, he closed his books and put away his notes. He took them to his room and placed the stack on his desk. He stretched out on his bed, hoping to take a nap before his patrol later that night. He drifted off, clearing his mind save for a single hope for peaceful sleep.

Though he had cleared his mind and built his walls to keep people out, it didn't stop his dreams. His chaotic subconscious took over and released hell. The death and destruction that plagued his mind made any attempts at sleep restless.

Harry was grateful when Hermione's persistent knocking broke his fitful sleep. He blinked his eyes several times, willing the bad dreams to retreat to the back of his mind. He stood up and stretched, aware of the usual dull throb from his scar. The pain was always there after he had woken. He went to his door and opened it, coming face-to-face with a rather disgruntled Hermione.

"Time for patrol, Potter. Come on."

Harry followed the Gryffindor out of the common room and they began to make their rounds. He could tell she was still upset about their earlier disagreement. Their patrol was once again filled with awkward silence. He was sure she was seeking an apology—something he would not give because he felt the situation didn't warrant one. They spent an hour in silence, which was driving Harry mad. So, he had no objections when McGonagall interrupted them as they were checking an empty classroom on the fourth floor.

The deputy headmistress was quite pleased with the joint leadership between the Head students. She had feared she would spend most of the year breaking up their arguments. This was why she had been happy to pass on the results of a decision made by the professors earlier that day.

"Mister Potter, Miss Granger. I need to speak with you for a moment." She gestured toward the classroom they had just checked. "In here would be sufficient."

They entered the classroom. McGonagall stood before the students and could not stop herself from raising an eyebrow at their behavior. Harry stared straight ahead with an air of nonchalance while Hermione stood next to him, fidgeting nervously. The tension was unmistakable. "You can relax. You're not in trouble." She watched as they both visibly relaxed and her curiosity was peaked.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione said, "but what is this about?"

McGonagall pushed her curiosity aside and addressed the matter at hand. "The annual Halloween feast is at the end of this month and the staff has decided to include a dance once again." She ignored the groans from the two seventh years and continued. "Typically, the staff is in charge of planning the dance, but this year we have decided to pass the fun on to the students."

Harry rolled his eyes while Hermione looked startled. "I—I'm sorry, Professor. What do you mean?"

McGonagall smiled. "You and Mister Potter will lead a committee of students to plan the Halloween dance."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think that's possible, Professor. With N.E.W.T.s and classes to study for, I don't think there is time for us to plan a dance."

"Nonsense, Miss Granger. N.E.W.T.s aren't for another seven months. There's plenty of time for studying next semester." Hermione's eyes widened as she watched McGonagall reach into her pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment, which she handed to the dumbfounded Head Girl. "This is information on bands and which house elf to contact for food and decorations. Everything will be up to you to decide."

"Honestly, Professor, this is too much. I have—"

McGonagall waved her off. "I have complete confidence that you two will accomplish a magnificent dance for your peers." She stepped back into the corridor and Hermione quickly followed. "Please contact me for any monetary concerns and I'll be sure to forward any payments to whomever I need to. Good luck and have a good evening."

Hermione stared in silence as the aging woman hurried down the corridor. Hermione felt her anger escalate as she watched her ex-favorite Professor disappear around the corner. She spun around and walked up to Harry, waving the parchment through the air as she flung her arms around. "I can't believe this."

Harry snorted. "What? That our esteemed professors would pass on their duties to mere students? It's not surprising."

"I have to study. Education should come first."

"No, the comforts of the faculty come first. Why do you think there's a ghost teaching pointless history? Why do you think Snape still has a job with the way he treats students? And let's not even think about the mindless idiots hired into the Defense Against the Dark Arts position or the crazy woman hiding away at the top of the Divination tower. This school is ruled by politics and the students are the victims." He spun around and moved out the door, leaving an invisible aura of anger trailing behind him.

Hermione blinked dazedly at the door for a moment before snapping out of her daze and hurrying after Harry. She caught up to him as he was checking one of the last rooms on their route. His body was still tense and he held a bitter expression on his face. She didn't say anything when he turned back toward the corridor, but she blocked his path when he tried to move around her.

He glared at her before growling out, "What?"

She hesitated and took a deep breath. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about the school."

"I could care less about the school. My concern is with a system that allows such behavior to continue. The wizarding world is so corrupted by those in charge that there seems to be no hope for the next generation."

"Where is this coming from? You walk the halls like you don't care about anything but yourself. Why the sudden change?"

"It's not sudden. Sometimes, to inspire change, drastic measures must be taken. And sometimes, it's best if the ones being changed are not aware of the origins of their new ideals."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. "Are you saying you're making some drastic change by being a jerk to your fellow schoolmates?"

Harry rolled his eyes and forced his way around Hermione and continued down the corridor. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, Granger."

Hermione sighed in exasperation as she followed after him. "Then, explain it to me."

"Why? Why the sudden interest? We have been on opposite sides for the last six years, Granger. I have no reason to share all my secrets with you."

Hermione fell silent after that. The two teens finished their patrol through the school without another word spoken between them. Exhausted, they returned to their common room and retired to their rooms, both deep in thought about their future.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Planning a dance was more trouble than Harry had anticipated. He had hoped Hermione would take over as she did with other things, but she wouldn't let him out of it. So, he had been dragged into the preparations with great reluctance and his disdain for the school only increasing.

They had recruited the prefects, who seemed far more eager to participate than their leaders. In two weeks, they had planned the decorations and confirmed snacks with the house-elves. Hermione had spoken with Hagrid about carving one large pumpkin and Harry had booked the band. He had dragged Draco into the planning with him after the blonde supported Hermione in an argument about whether to include costumes. Now, he was forced to hunt down a costume as well in his limited time.

With all the planning, his time spent in the presence of the Gryffindor princess increased greatly. He had heard rumors on more than one occasion about how the two of them seemed to be glued at the hip. He decided not to let some trivial gossip cause him anymore stress than what he was already under.

It was a mystery to him how they accomplished anything. It was common for them to disagree or argue about something at least once when they were together. Hermione was temperamental due to the little sleep she was allowing herself. Between Head duties, studying, and planning the dance, she had worn herself out after two weeks. Harry could attest that she was still awake and working on something when he went to bed and she was already in the Great Hall eating with a book in her lap when he went down for breakfast.

Years later, Harry would say the conditions that they were forced into as Head students lit a fuse and he and Hermione were the bomb at the other end.

It was just a week and a half before the Halloween dance. They were in the final preparations, and the prefects were set to decorate the Great Hall on Halloween. Hermione was determined to set up a decoration schedule so that everything would be completed in time. Her parchments were scattered all over their common room table when Harry had returned from studying in the Library.

He had to pause for a moment when he stepped inside. Hermione was on the floor hunched over the table, quill flying across the parchment. He couldn't really see her face, but it was obvious she was out of sorts. Her hair was flying out wildly enough to give his own hair competition. Her normally neat uniform was wrinkled and it looked like she missed a few buttons on her shirt when getting dressed that day. He felt a laugh began to bubble to the surface, but it was cut off when she snapped her head up to look at him. There were dark circles under her eyes, which stood out on her unusually pale skin. He was instantly reminded of a certain werewolf he hadn't seen in a while.

Sighing, he stepped further in the room while shaking his head slightly. "Granger, when was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

Hermione rolled her eyes before focusing on her work once again. "Sleep is for the lazy. I have important work to do."

"I'm sure it can wait a few hours while you get some much needed rest."

"No," she replied angrily, "it can't. Unlike you, I don't like to ignore my responsibilities."

Harry took a deep breath. "Granger, I'm trying to be nice, not start a fight."

Hermione snorted. "When have you ever wasted your energy being nice to anyone?"

He held back his retort and took his books to his room. When he walked back into the common room, Hermione was absorbed in her work once again. He couldn't stop the smirk that appeared when she remained oblivious to his presence. He walked up to the chair and stood behind it. He slipped out his wand, stretched over the back of the chair, and tapped the top of her head with its tip. Instantly, Hermione slumped to the floor, snoring softly.

He grinned in victory as he waved his wand and her books and parchment stacked up into a neat pile. With another wave, the pile rose into the air, levitating a few feet off the ground. As he turned toward the task of moving Hermione, loud noises coming through the common room door caused him to pause. He cautiously moved toward the door as the noises became clearer and he could tell they were shouts.

"Let me in, you idiot!"

"You do not have permission to enter! One of the occupants must grant you access!"

"I've been in here before!"

"How am I to know you are wanted here now? You must wait for one of them to let you in!"

"Honestly, for someone who used to be Headmaster, you're extraordinarily thick!"

Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing as he pushed the door open, effectively interrupting Phineas's response. Draco stood just outside the door. He was slightly red in the face and his face was scrunched up in a deep scowl, which only deepened when he saw the grin on Harry's face.

"Do you find this funny?"

Harry snickered. "Yes."

Draco growled and pushed past Harry into the common room. The door swung shut as Harry went to join him, as the muffled sounds of a disgruntled Phineas came through the door.

Draco had paused at the door, taking in the sight of an unconscious Hermione on the floor. "Oh Merlin, you haven't killed her, have you?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "She's asleep. I was just about to move her. What are you doing here?"

Draco pulled a folded parchment from his cloak and waved it at Harry. "Your genius of an owl found me on the grounds. Apparently, you had a delivery, but the owl was having trouble reaching you. Somehow, Augustus convinced the owl to leave it with me."

Harry grinned. "Augustus is always full of surprises. Who is it from?"

Draco shrugged. "Doesn't say. It's just addressed to you, but based on the postage tracker spells on it, I'd say it was from your American friend." Harry went to reach for it, but Draco shook his head. "Are you going to leave Granger there?"

Harry glared at him and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at her bedroom door and it instantly swung open. Her stack of books, which was still floating in the air, responded to a silent command and moved toward her room. Harry walked over to Hermione's limp body, bent down, and easily lifted her from the floor. He held her bridal style as he carried her into her room, where he laid her on her bed and tucked her in.

When he stepped out of her bedroom, he noticed Draco giving him a strange look. He closed the door behind him, while trying to decipher the look. After a moment, he simple just raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Draco shook his head. "Nothing." He held out the parchment, which Harry promptly took and unfolded.

Harry didn't read the letter out loud, so Draco watched on until he finished. As Harry perused the letter, his facial expression changed from disappointment to frustration and finally ended at deep contemplation. He wordlessly handed the letter to Draco, who quickly read through it.

Harry refused to become stumped and give up on his task. His American contact, Andrews, had extensively researched the situation with what little information provided. All he was told was that a piece of a soul needed to be destroyed within a living body. Unfortunately, his solution wasn't as simple as a potion, but the potions master wasn't without suggestions. He believed that the soul could be separated with the proper potion, but there didn't seem to be a way to destroy the soul and not destroy the body. _Well, unless the effects of a dementor's kiss can be replicated in a potion, _Andrews had written. Harry snorted at the thought, remembering his first encounter with the foul creatures during his third year.

Draco looked up once he had finished reading. "Well, this complicates things. What are we going to do?"

Harry sighed. "Keep looking. There obviously isn't one potion to do it all. We're going to have to take the plan and split it into parts and find a solution for each part."

"What about salvaging the body?"

"We'll look for a solution to that to, but you know what to do if it becomes necessary."

Draco frowned. "I don't like that outcome."

"Neither do I."

& ! & ! & ! & !

Please Review!

~Alive~


	4. Chapter Four

Hello! I think I got this posted a little quicker than last time. I'm really trying to shorten the time between updates. I know I said I would have this posted yesterday, but I was still trying to catch up on sleep after going to a midnight showing of the Hunger Games. Awesome movie, btw. Anywho, this is sort of a filler chapter, but it mentions things that need to be said, so it had to be added. Halloween is the next chapter. It's already a quarter of the way finished.

****Disclaimer: ****If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

On with the story...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

"Potter!"

Harry groaned and rolled over in his bed. The sun was streaming in through his window, lighting the room with its brilliant rays. At the sound of his name again, he grabbed his pillow and pulled it over his head, effectively blocking the light and drowning out the deranged Gryffindor outside his door. He lay there not asleep, but not fully awake either, which was why he missed the click of his door unlocking and the shadow of the body that approached and stood over his bed.

He was only aware of her presence when the pillow was ripped from over his head. His reflexes kicked in, hand wrapping around his wand. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet in a crouched position on his bed. His arm was stretched before him with his wand pointed squarely at the intruder's chest. His gaze was cold and calculating as he looked into the eyes of a startled Hermione.

They were both frozen as they stared at each other. Hermione had been caught off-guard by Harry's swift reaction, but after a moment, her shock wore off and her anger returned. She clenched her wand in her right fist and she glared at him. "Put your wand down, Potter."

Harry didn't budge. "Toss yours out the door and I will."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "I will not 'toss' my wand anywhere."

"Fine," he answered, not caring if she did or not. He continued to aim his wand at her. "What are you doing in my room, Granger?"

Her eyes narrowed further. "What did you do to me last night?"

Harry rolled his eyes and lowered his wand to his side. "You were exhausted and I couldn't stand looking at you any longer. One more day and you would have easily resembled a banshee."

"That doesn't give you the right to magically knock me out!"

Harry hopped off his bed and stood before her, leaving his wand on his bed. "You wouldn't have slept any other way. Someone had to do something. You nearly destroyed our potion twice yesterday because you refuse to rest!"

Hermione looked flustered, but didn't back down. "I was just a little out of sorts yesterday. That doesn't give you the right—"

"I was not going to spend the rest of this month dealing with a crazy Head girl." She opened her mouth to reply, but he spoke again. "Are you not feeling better?"

She sighed indignantly. "Well, yes, but—"

"Don't you think that things will be easier now that you're well-rested and can think clearly?"

Hermione frowned. "Don't patronize me, Potter."

"If you stopped acting like a child, I wouldn't have a reason to."

"I am not a child."

Harry smirked. "No, not a child. More like a horny girl. Why else would you barge into a half-naked man's bedroom when he's sleeping?"

Harry watched as her eyes darted down and her face quickly reddened in embarrassment. After all, the most he ever wore to bed was boxers. She stared at his bare chest for a moment before averting her eyes and fixing them on the floor. After a moment, she looked up, her glare renewed. "You're no more a man than I am a child."

She turned to make her exit. She had only taken a few steps before Harry reached forward and grabbed her right wrist. He gripped it tight and pulled her back toward him, spinning her around so she faced him. He held her right hand away from him so her wand wouldn't be pointed at him and he wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her body flush against his own.

He leaned his head down so that his lips rested by her ear. "I'm more man than any _boy _you'll find in this castle." He felt her shiver in his arms before she started pushing against his chest. He let her go without a fuss.

For a moment, she paused, her face reddened in anger or embarrassment, he couldn't tell. She looked as if she would hit him and part of him hoped she would try just so he would have a valid reason to hex her. Instead, she spun around and stalked out of his room.

A minute later, he heard the door to the common room open and close. That's when he allowed the laughter to bubble to the surface. When he felt the laughter die down, he would just laugh harder as he pictured the ruffled Head girl. Eventually, he started moving, getting dressed and grabbing his wand before heading down for breakfast.

It was a Saturday and a Hogsmeade weekend at that. So, while the younger students were sleeping in, the older students were crowded in the Great Hall, having their fill of breakfast before they were allowed to leave. The third years were particularly excited as this was their first Hogsmeade weekend. The noise level within the Great Hall was exceptionally high as everyone was talking and making plans for the day.

Harry entered the Great Hall with a grin, which didn't falter as he walked over to the Slytherin table and took his seat next to Draco. Draco looked at him strangely, but Harry ignored him, choosing to fill his plate up before Crabbe or Goyle joined them and they would have to fight for food on their end of the table. As he took a bite of bacon, he scanned the room. The grin was wiped from his face when he noticed the headmaster watching him with a slight frown.

Harry turned his attention to Draco. "Any idea why the old man is out of his office today?"

Draco glanced up at the staff table before turning back to Harry. "No idea. This would be the first time he's shown up to a meal on a Saturday, wouldn't it?"

Harry nodded. "I wonder what the occasion is."

"I'm sure you'll find out." Draco drank a bit of pumpkin juice before speaking again. "So, what's the plan for today?'

Harry frowned. "Well, thanks to you, I have to look for a costume today." Draco tried to stifle his snicker, but failed. Harry glared at him. "Do you have any idea what your costume is?"

Draco smiled. "I have a few ideas, but I'm not sharing. I want to see what the great Harry Potter comes up with all by himself."

"If you weren't my best friend, I'd punch you right now."

Draco laughed and continued to eat. They were joined by Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle after a moment. Harry allowed himself to relax and joked around with the group. When the Great Hall began to empty out, the boys followed their schoolmates outside for the trip to Hogsmeade. The walk was long, but time passed quickly as the boys talked and joked along the way. When they reached the village, they split up. Crabbe and Goyle wanted to visit Honeydukes and Blaise said he had someone to meet at The Three Broomsticks. Draco joined Harry at Gladrags for his costume search.

The shop was filled with premade costumes ranging from fairies to banshees. The place was also packed as others had the same idea as Harry. There were students browsing through all the costumes, discussing with their friends about what would be the best costume. The staff, which normally was made up of two or three witches, had now increased to ten witches and wizards, scurrying around as they tried to assist the students with their costumes. Four others were taking turns dragging students to the back to take measurements for custom fits. It was obvious that they were brought in from other branches because a few of them were conversing in French.

Harry and Draco spent nearly an hour browsing through costumes, but the store remained packed. Harry had no clue what costume to choose. He rejected every suggestion Draco threw at him. He was just beginning to make plans to where normal robes and bypass the costume when he was approached by one of the tailors.

The woman was tall with blonde hair that was pulled up in a loose bun. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle as she approached them and her smile was kind, though Harry could see a hint of fear. "Mister Potter, have you decided on a costume yet?"

Harry glanced around the shop before returning his attention to the tailor. "No, no such luck. Nothing here seems to interest me."

"Do you have an idea of what you wanted for a costume?"

Harry shrugged. "Not really. I figured I'd know it when I saw it. Maybe I'll just go as a werewolf."

Draco let out a laugh, which he quickly turned into a cough. The tailor ignored Draco. Her smile became wider and there was a gleam in her eye. "Why don't you come to the back with me?" Harry raised an eyebrow at this. "Trust me, Mister Potter. I have an idea."

Harry cautiously followed the tailor to one of the stands in the back of the shop. She rolled out her measuring tape and began taking his measurements. Harry could remember being in a similar situation when he was eleven as the tailor circled him while the measuring tape continued with the measurements. A quill was moving quickly over a piece of parchment floating in the air beside him. He had a slight frown as he watched the tailor. He didn't understand the point of getting his measurements when he hadn't even chosen a costume.

Finally, after a few minutes, the measuring tape fell to the floor and the tailor retreated to a table a few feet away. The table had a stack of blank parchment and several quills. She grabbed one of each and began scribbling away on the parchment. Harry stood silently on his stand tapping his foot. After a few minutes of being ignored, he finally interrupted her.

"May I ask what you are doing?"

The tailor looked up, slightly startled. "Oh! I had a brilliant idea for your costume, Mister Potter. I just wanted to get my notes down before I forgot them."

"Care to explain your idea?"

The tailor shook her head. "I'd rather it be a surprise. You may go. The costume should arrive by the morning of the dance. A deposit is required before I'm able to start the process, which you can make at the front desk. The rest of the payment will be due upon delivery."

"What if I don't like it?"

"I'm sure you will. But if you don't, the deposit is refundable. The owl that delivers the package will only leave with the costume or the money, so you can return it after you inspect it."

Harry stepped down from his stand and slowly began moving toward the tailor. "If I don't like this costume, you'll have more than refunding my money to deal with. I will not be happy with not having a costume for this dance."

The tailor's voice shook as she responded. "I assure you, Mister Potter, this costume will be well within your tastes."

Harry didn't acknowledge the response, but turned and made his way back to the front of the shop. It was still crowded, and there was a line at the desk. It took over fifteen minutes to pay and get out of the shop.

Draco was waiting for him outside the shop. "Well, what is your costume going to be? You can't come in tattered robes like our favorite werewolf."

Harry shrugged. "The tailor wants to surprise me. I'll have to wait to find out what it is."

"Kind of risky to do, don't you think?"

"Yes, but I have a feeling she wouldn't risk my wrath if she didn't have a fairly good idea."

"Well, let's hope for her sake, it is a good idea. I doubt it will help the cause later if your attacking a tailor makes it to the Prophet."

Harry groaned. "Well, after that headache, I feel like getting a drink."

"The Three Broomsticks then?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm going to the Hog's Head. Much quieter."

Draco grimaced. "You know I don't like that place."

Harry smiled. "I'm well aware that it's below your standards. You can go on to the Three Broomsticks. I'm sure the others are there. I'll catch up with you later."

Draco nodded, grateful for not being dragged to such a run-down pub. They split up, and Harry quickly made his way down the side road that would take him to the pub. When he entered, it was the same as always: a few random strangers gulping down rather strong drinks and a couple of third years who came on a dare. He took the shrinking charm off a glass he had brought with him from Hogwarts that had been in his pocket. He walked over to the bartender and ordered a butterbeer, then took a seat in a dark corner.

The door opened a few times while he sipped on his drink. He was used to ignoring the comings and goings of patrons in the pub. It was best not to catch the eye of the wrong drunk. The only reason he found himself glancing up at all was because he was on his last bit of butterbeer and wanted to know who he'd have to wait on before he was served. He nearly choked when he realized his headmaster had entered the dodgy establishment.

Choosing to remain in his shadowed corner, he kept a close eye on the aging headmaster as he crossed the pub to the bar. The bartender looked agitated as he turned his attention on the headmaster. Harry understood his agitation, though. In one of the few conversations he had with the bartender, he had made it known that he wasn't very fond of his brother.

Harry was too far away to hear anything normally. However, he knew a very useful spell to improve his hearing. Waving a hand over his ear, he was slightly taken aback by the increased volume of insignificant sounds. After a moment, he was able to adjust and focus on the conversation between the two brothers.

"I really wish you wouldn't come here, Albus," Aberforth was saying.

"I seek your advice, Aberforth," Dumbledore said, taking a seat at one of the stools.

Aberforth laughed. "What could you possibly need my advice for?"

"I'm having trouble with Harry Potter and I fear this year will be critical to the war."

Harry was grateful Aberforth didn't as much as glance in his direction at the mention of his name. "So, the kid doesn't like you. It's not surprising. Let him make his own decisions with or without your help."

"He's continuing without my help and I fear he's not fighting for the light."

"Can you blame him if he joined the opposite side? I read the stories that were published over the last few years. If what they're saying is true about his family, you're lucky the kid agreed to even come to your school."

Dumbledore frowned. "This is not at all helpful, Aberforth."

Aberforth grabbed his towel and began to wipe down the bar. "What do you expect me to say, Albus? I can't blame the kid for not liking you. Merlin, I don't even like you. Just because things aren't going your way does not mean they're not going right. I've talked to the kid. He's got his head on straight. I'm more willing to follow him than either of you crazy fools."

Dumbledore huffed. "Really, I don't see-"

"No, you don't see. That's why you have no hope of understanding him or me. Now, I think it's time that you left. You have a school to run, after all."

Dumbledore sighed before getting up from his spot at the bar. He crossed the room, aware of the wary glances he was receiving from the patrons. The light crept in as he pushed the door open and walked outside, not sparing a glance back at his brother.

Harry watched the bartender for a moment as he began cleaning a glass. He was divided on how much he could trust the old man. Allies were far and few between, but he didn't want to risk information falling into the wrong hands.

At that moment, Aberforth looked up and locked gazes with Harry. He gave a small nod, which Harry returned. Making up his mind, Harry shrunk his mug and slipped it back into his pocket. He got up from his table and walked over to the door, slipping out quickly before someone complained about the light.

He began his trek back to the castle, not wanting to stick around Hogsmeade any longer. He tried to avoid the other students, but still had to push through a few groups of girls vying for his attention. Remaining dateless for these kinds of things was always an ordeal for him. He maintained that a date was not necessary to have a good time while a school full of hormonal females was convinced otherwise. After six years, he thought the females of Hogwarts would take the hint, but he could not seem to discourage their pestering.

He had almost made it to the castle when he heard someone shouting his name behind him. He paused to turn around and saw Hermione hurrying up the path to catch up to him. Ignoring his instinct to turn and keep going, he chose to wait until she had joined him before turning to continue toward the castle. "What's this about, Granger?"

She was silent for a moment as she caught her breath before she replied. "I was just talking with a few of the prefects. It seems they have decided to have an official start to the dance. We're to kick off the party."

Harry stopped and turned toward her. "Exactly what does that entail?"

Hermione sighed. "We're to enter the Great Hall, go onstage, and announce the start of the dance."

He groaned. "Can't you do it by yourself?"

She shook her head. "I asked, but they seem to have taken my unity talks to heart," she said with a sense of pride. "They think it will look better if we were both there and seemed to get along."

"And if I don't show up?"

"Then half the school will come looking for you. No one will be allowed to enter the Great Hall until we have."

He sighed and started back toward the castle. "This is ridiculous. I doubt there were any Slytherins in this group of prefects of yours?"

Hermione shrugged. "They'll come around eventually."

"Wishful thinking, Granger."

By now, they were a few feet away from the great double doors that led into the castle. Harry paused in the middle of the path, taking in the sight of the castle. The castle housed so many students that were meant to one day lead the wizarding world. He knew from his own observations that what one learns as a child will influence and shape the adult that child would become. How else could a little baby boy grow up with the lone purpose of taking over the wizarding world, murdering hundreds in the process?

"Alright, Granger, I'll do it."

Hermione couldn't stop the smile that formed. "Really? That easy, Potter? I thought I'd have to hex you to get you to agree."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You mean _try_ to hex me. I haven't been hexed since second year."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a challenge to me."

Harry snorted. "You're not that good, Granger. I—"

"Hermione!"

They both turned to see three Hufflepuff students running toward them from the castle. Harry thought they were sixth or seventh years, but he didn't know for sure. The three girls approaching them had never rated high on his importance scale.

Hermione, on the other hand, looked concerned as the girls finally stopped in front of them. Harry did have to admit, they did look a little frantic.

Hermione took the initiative. "What's wrong, girls?"

The tall blonde was the first to speak after shooting a quick glance at Harry. "Susan's missing."

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean she's missing?"

"We were walking from the quill shop to the Three Broomsticks. Susan had been right next to me, talking with all of us, but somehow when we reached the Three Broomsticks, she was gone."

Hermione quirked an eyebrow. "Are you saying she just disappeared into thin air?"

At that, the blonde rolled her eyes. "Of course not, but we don't know where she is."

With a sigh, Hermione shifted her weight and put a hand on her hip. "Okay, have you checked your dorm?"

"Yes, but she wasn't there. We went to the usual spots, like by the lake, the Great Hall, and the library, but we couldn't find her."

"I'm sure she's fine. She may just be wandering around right now." At the look of indignation on their faces, she pressed her fingers to her temple and massaged it as she spoke. "Look, I don't think this is a matter for the professors just yet. If she hasn't turned up by supper, I'll inform Professor McGonagall, okay?"

The other two girls nodded as the blonde said, "Fine."

The two girls walked away as if they planned to head back to Hogsmeade, but the blonde hesitated. She turned her attention to Harry, and he mentally groaned, already knowing what was coming. "Harry, can I speak to you for a moment?"

He shook his head. "No. Absolutely not." With that, he moved around her and hurried toward the castle.

Hermione caught up to him just as he was stepping into the Entrance Hall. "What was that?"

Harry scowled. "A situation that I'm quite sick of and wanted to avoid."

"It was rather rude."

"No, what's rude is the number of girls that think the sole purpose of my existence is to date one of them. Every time I move in this castle, there's at least one girl ready to ambush me should I pass them in the corridor. It's been that way since the bloody dance was announced."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly, you act as if you're some god. It can't be—"

"Harry!"

They both turned to see a girl with long brown hair and light gray eyes running toward them. She was gasping for air, but before Harry could speak, she managed to get out in a quick jumble of words, "Willyougotothedancewithme?"

Harry didn't hesitate. "No." He spun around and made a beeline for his dorm, dodging two other girls on the staircase. It may have been his imagination, but he was sure he heard the Head Girl snorting with laughter as he made his escape.

& ! & ! & ! & !


	5. Chapter Five

****Disclaimer: ****If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

I know I'm a week later than what I said in my profile, but I've finally completed this to the point where I was satisfied enough to post it. This is my longest chapter yet, but once the night started, I wouldn't stop it until it was finished. Read on!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

When Harry woke up a week later to the sound of rain pelting against the window, he thought it was fitting. The past week had been horrible, and the dance only added to his misery. It seemed natural that the nightmare would kick off with such dreary weather.

The one good thing was that the girls finally backed off about halfway through the week. Although, he knew this was only due to the incident with Pansy. Sometime during the Hogsmeade weekend, Draco had agreed to take Pansy as his date to the Halloween dance. Harry knew Draco only did this because he wanted to stop Pansy before she started hounding Harry and, more simply, he wanted to get laid. The backfire to this is that somehow Pansy got it in her head that dating his best friend would make him jealous, so she took every opportunity to flaunt her date with Draco whenever Harry was around. Sick of the behavior of Hogwarts females, especially Pansy, Harry lost it one day and hexed her. Two nights of detention was well worth getting the girls off his back as well as seeing Pansy's face when she realized her skin was a very electric blue color. He couldn't wait to see her reaction to the extra little curse he had put on her also.

Not wanting to get up because he was still feeling a little sore from the grueling Quidditch practice Draco had ran the night before, he tried rolling over and going back to sleep. After ten minutes of staring at the back of his eyelids, he gave up and climbed out of bed. He dressed slowly, not really feeling rushed for once. He didn't have any plans before the dance. In fact, his costume had yet to arrive. (Part of him hoped it wouldn't so he would have an excuse not to attend.) At the moment, his plan was to get to the Great Hall to grab some breakfast.

However, his plan was interrupted at the sight of the Head Girl pacing across the common room floor in her pajamas. She didn't notice his entrance as she was muttering to herself and shaking her head. Somehow, she had managed to pull her hair back so it no longer framed her face. Though her pajamas weren't entirely flattering, Harry did find himself noticing just how much the uniforms and her modest clothing covered during the day. He couldn't stop himself from eyeing the expanse of creamy, ivory skin that made up her rather long legs as she strode back and forth across the room.

Before he could get caught staring, he decided to divert his attention. "Granger, what are you doing?"

The frown that she sported grew deeper as she paused just long enough to look at him. "Thinking."

"Do you have to wear a hole in the floor while you think?"

"I don't have time for your trivial comments, Potter. Ginny was just here and there is a problem I have to solve."

Harry took a seat on the couch. "And what is the problem?"

Hermione waved a hand towards the window. "The rain. We were going to set up an area outside, but now that's not possible. I'm trying to decide if there's somewhere inside we can set up or if we need to scrap the idea altogether."

Harry snorted. "_That's_ the problem? And I thought you were supposed to be top of our class."

Hermione stopped and glared at him. "I don't have time for your insults, Potter. If you have a solution, let's hear it."

"Granger, you're in a castle full of witches and wizards. Don't you think at least one professor would know a spell to repel rain?"

A blush crept up on her face before she threw her hands up in the air and retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her. Harry couldn't help but laugh a little before shouting "You're welcome!"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Harry realized he was up far earlier than normal when he reached the Great Hall and found a handful of students that were eating. He supposed everyone else was resting up for the dance that night. He decided to enjoy a peaceful breakfast by himself, which is usually a rare occurrence in the castle. He filled his plate and poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice and slowly began to eat his meal.

His gaze wandered as he chewed. Most of the students in the Great Hall were the typical early birds. He had seen some of the same faces during the few times he had made it to the Great Hall early, but there were a few that stuck out. He frowned as his gaze swept over Neville Longbottom. The tall, lanky teenager seemed to be brooding as he slowly ate his bowl of porridge. Harry had a hunch that his mood had something to do with the dance, but he had no way of confirming that at the moment.

He turned his head and found Susan Bones eating at one end of the Hufflepuff table by herself. She had turned up Sunday morning well after Hermione had reported her missing to Professor McGonagall. He had been there when McGonagall had stopped her in the corridor and asked her where she had been. She had only blushed and avoided the question. She had been taken to McGonagall's office after breakfast and been interrogated. According to the headmistress, the girl had not given anything up. But, Harry had heard the rumors over the past week. Susan wasn't herself. She seemed to go about her usual routine, but there were things about her behavior that were not normal. At times, she was unresponsive and completely unaware of her surroundings. She was neglecting her classwork and would sometimes go off on her own without any warning. Even now, she consumed her breakfast robotically as she stared at the table. Harry knew something was going on there, but decided it wasn't worth his attention just yet.

He finished his breakfast just as the school seemed to wake up. The Great Hall was filling up as he slipped out, not wanting to speak to anyone. He returned to his room, hoping to avoid the general public until it was time for the dance. He stretched out on his bed, hands folded under his head as he stared at the ceiling. He let his mind drift, not wanting to focus on anything in particular at the moment.

He spent most of the morning staring up at the ceiling with very few interruptions. A large owl appeared a short time after he had returned from breakfast with a large parcel attached to its feet. He opened the parcel and after examining its contents, immediately deposited money into the pouch on the bird's leg. Around noon, Draco appeared wanting to make sure he was alive. He hung around for a few hours, enjoying the peace the room provided.

About four hours before the dance started, noises from the common room drew their attention. Draco peeked out and revealed that Ginny had arrived to get ready for the dance with Hermione. At that point, both of the male teenagers vacated the area, not wanting to be near the giggling girls at the moment. Ginny had glared at Harry as he walked through the room toward the door.

Harry returned to the common room just an hour before the dance was supposed to start. He had spent the last few hours flying around the Quidditch pitch with Draco. He was met with silence and had assumed the girls had left already, but that assumption was immediately squashed when he heard a squeal come through Hermione's door. He quickly retreated to his room before they became aware of his presence.

He went to his bathroom and took a quick shower before returning to his bedroom to get dressed. He had been skeptical about trusting the tailor without any details, but he was pleased with the result. While he had been looking for a costume, it hadn't occurred to him to go with a theme rather than something specific, but the tailor had. The theme she had chosen suited him well.

The tailor had forgone the traditional wizard robes and had produced a Muggle tuxedo for the occasion. The tuxedo itself was a simple black tuxedo, and a black tuxedo shirt with silver buttons and cufflinks was paired with it. What impressed Harry were the silver snakes that twined up and around the pant legs and around the sleeves of the jacket. There was also the body of a snake whose tail wrapped around the waist of his jacket. Its body stretched the length of the right side of the jacket before stopping headless at the collar. To add to the design, there was a charm that made the snakes seem to move around the tuxedo. He could easily imagine the reaction of his schoolmates when they caught sight of him.

He put on the pants and shirt before returning to his bathroom to make a feeble attempt at controlling his hair. He gave up when there was a knock at his door. A moment later, Draco entered his room looking paler than usual with his blonde hair slicked back. A pair of fangs was visible when he smiled as he took in Harry's costume.

"Live snakes? Nice."

"A vampire? That's it?"

Draco shrugged. "It was easy. Besides, I didn't have a tailor designing a costume for me."

"You could have."

Draco shook his head. "You know I didn't want to." He pointed a finger over his shoulder towards the closed bedroom door. "Those girls are still in there."

Harry nodded as he slipped on his socks and shoes. "You would think they would have time to spare after being in there all afternoon." He looked at his friend. "Aren't you supposed to be with Pansy?"

"You and I both know she'll be late. We decided to meet in the Great Hall, anyway. Plus, I came up here for a reason."

Harry stood up and slipped on the bowtie he had found in the inner jacket pocket. "And what is that?"

"He wants us at ten tonight."

Harry sighed. "Of course he does." He picked up the jacket and slipped it on. Immediately, he felt a warm sensation along the right side of his face. Once the feeling had disappeared, he looked toward Draco, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"That's just brilliant," he breathed.

"What?"

"Go look in the mirror."

Harry hurried to the mirror in his bathroom and gasped at what he saw. The silver head of the snake was on his face and connected perfectly with the body that was on his jacket. The mouth of the snake was positioned so it looked like it was about to bite his eye. A grin stretched across his face, and he wished he had tipped the tailor.

He turned to Draco and started buttoning his jacket. "You know, I think this is the first time I'm actually excited about a dance."

Draco grinned. "Now, that's a miracle."

He walked over to his door and started opening it. "Come on. Let's get downstairs. I wish I had a Muggle camera."

"Camera? You mean that thing the Creevey kid carried around when he was younger?"

Harry laughed and nodded as he turned to enter his common room. He stopped in his tracks at the sight that met him. He felt Draco come to a stop behind him, but he paid no attention to his friend.

His gaze was focused on the Muggleborn that was standing at her door across the room. She had initially had her back to him, but had turned after a moment to face him. Her relatively bushy hair was now sleek and fell in soft curls around her face and down her back. She wore blood red lipstick and dark eyeliner that made her eyes seem darker than they were. If that wasn't enough of a shock for him, her costume was everything opposite of what he thought she would wear. It was a black halter dress that should have covered more skin than it did. This was because most of the bodice of the dress was missing save for the part that covered her breasts. Red cloth in the shape of a diamond started at the point between her breasts and stretched down to her waist to connect to the black skirt. He had caught sight of the eight furry legs that seemed to sprout out of her back and were now resting around her torso.

He shook his head, breaking his stare and found the Head Girl was staring at him with her mouth slightly open. He smirked, "A spider, Granger? And here, I thought you would go as a librarian. You already owned the clothes."

That snapped her out of her reverie. Hermione rolled her eyes, but before she could say anything, Ginny stepped in. "Don't insult her, Potter."

For the first time, Harry turned his eyes on the female Weasley. He was unimpressed by her predictably tight blue dress and the insect wings sticking out from her back. "A fairy? Really Weasley?"

Hermione grasped her friend's arm. "Let it go, Ginny. Potter's just being...Potter."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this before turning to his friend. Draco had been standing there watching the exchange in interest. "Let's go, Draco. Don't you have a date to meet?"

"Rub it in, why don't you, you ungrateful twit."

Harry laughed as he headed for the door to the common room. "Oh, don't give me that. We both know why you asked her."

"Potter, wait." Harry turned to see Hermione tapping her foot with her hands on her hips. "Aren't you going to help me down to the Great Hall?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock, caught off-guard for possibly the first time in his life. "What? No. Can't you walk down there by yourself?'

She lifted the end of her dress slightly to show off the four-inch black heels she was sporting. "It would take me forever to get down there by myself."

"Weaselette can help you." He ignored the redhead that was trying to burn a hole through him with her eyes.

"She has her own heels to deal with."

"If you don't help her," Draco butted in, "you'll have to stand there with half of the school until she gets down there."

Harry glared at the pale boy before groaning. "Fine." He marched over to Hermione and offered his arm to her. "I would think that you'd rather stumble down there by yourself than have me help you."

Hermione looped her arm through his. "I'm not above asking for help when necessary, Potter. Some things cannot be accomplished alone. I would think you would understand that."

Harry frowned, but didn't say anything as he led her from the room. Draco followed close behind, but Ginny decided to make the journey on her own. They had started out silently, but after a few minutes, Draco brought up the topic of Quidditch. Hermione made the mistake of commenting on how horrid she thought the sport was. By the time they were at the last staircase, the three of them were deeply into a debate on the sport, which was why they missed the sea of students gaping at them.

Later, Harry could understand the impact the sight of the three of them had on the waiting students. Hermione, the Gryffindor princess, Head Girl, and Muggleborn to boot, was hanging off of the Boy Who Lived's arm, while comfortably debating with the two Slytherins. Add in their odd costumes and he was certain that even if Snape had come striding down the hall in a red dress, the three of them would still have been the more interesting spectacle.

He only paused for a moment when he realized the attention they were attracting. He continued to lead Hermione to the doors of the Great Hall, cutting through the crowd that easily parted for them. He grabbed the handle of one door while Draco grabbed the other. The doors opened, allowing the crowd their first view of the room. Harry heard a few gasps in reaction to the elaborate decorations, but the crowd for the most part remained silent. A glance back confirmed that quite a few were still keenly watching them.

The Great Hall was decorated in orange, black, and silver. There were rows of tables lining the Hall with tablecloths of black and mini pumpkins as centerpieces. The walls were covered in silver, white, and black fake spider webs. The refreshment table was in the corner on the Gryffindor side of the room. A sliver tablecloth covered it and the house-elves had already filled the table with several choices of foods. The professors that were present as chaperones were seated at the staff table. While the five professors looked as shocked as the students, Snape and McGonagall looked less shocked and more wary of the two of them together. Right in front of them was the stage where the band was just finishing setting up. The dance floor was situated in the center of the room. Floating in the air above them were several orange fairy lights that lit up the room. The normal sky-reflecting ceiling of the room was obscured by more spider webs that had been arranged to stretch from wall to wall above the fairy lights.

Following the instructions he had been given the day before, Harry led Hermione to the stage and let her use his hand as leverage as she stepped onto the stage. She looked a little nervous as she walked up to the microphone. But when she spoke, her voice was strong and unwavering.

"Thank you for coming to this year's Halloween dance. The prefects worked hard to put this together. We want to thank the Weird Sisters for coming. There are a few rules that I was told to share. The courtyard was set up for those that didn't want to remain in the Great Hall. You are to stay in the courtyard or in the Great Hall unless you are returning to your dorms. There are still professors patrolling the halls, so if you're caught, you will be punished. Other than that, have a great night!"

That was the band's cue. They immediately launched into their first song, which caused the students to cheer. Hermione walked off the stage as the lead singer stepped up to the microphone and the dance floor immediately began to fill. Harry was still waiting by the stage to help her down, but once her feet were on the floor, he let go of her hand and wandered off.

He found Draco, Pansy, Blaise, and his date, Astoria, sitting at a table towards the back of the room. Blaise and Draco were talking about something. Pansy looked pissed, while Astoria just looked bored. When Pansy spotted him, she quickly put on a fake smile and clutched Draco's arm. Draco, for his part, looked as if he wanted to snatch his arm out of the girl's clutches, but managed to restrain himself.

He sat down in an empty chair and talked idly with Draco, Blaise, and Astoria. Pansy tried to get his attention by attempting to make him jealous through Draco while pretending to ignore his presence. Harry just simply ignored her and was happier for it. Eventually, Blaise and Astoria went out to the dance floor and after only a song or two, Pansy coaxed Draco into joining them. Harry was left to seek out his own entertainment, and he didn't have to look far.

Just a table down in the corner stood a certain tall redhead and an enticing female spider. Harry would have laughed at the orange eyesore of a costume the redhead wore if he weren't trying to focus in on their conversation. They were very absorbed in their conversation and didn't realize they were attracting attention. They seemed to be attempting to argue quietly, but their voices steadily rose until he— as well as several others in the area—could hear them clearly.

"It's just a costume, Ron!"

"Those are actual spider legs! Why would you choose to wear actual spider legs?" He jumped back as one of the legs stretched out away from her body before returning to rest on her ribcage.

"Really, Ron, you need to get over this irrational fear."

"Fear of spiders is not irrational!"

"No one else seems to be running for the hills over my costume!"

Ron glared. "If you're talking about how you and Potter seemed to be joined at the hip—" Harry frowned at this.

"He was just helping me down because of my heels and he was _supposed_ to escort me into the Great Hall which I already explained to you yesterday!"

"It didn't look like he was just escorting you to me. You two looked like you were together!" Harry snorted.

"Oh, grow up, Ronald! We are clearly not together! Stop being such a jealous bastard!"

"You think I'm jealous? You're nothing but a know-it-all bitch and I won't deal with it anymore!" The redhead turned and stalked out the door, leaving a fuming Hermione behind.

Those that had witnessed the squabble immediately began whispering amongst themselves, but Hermione paid them no mind. She turned and stomped over to the chair next to Harry where she plopped down. She crossed her legs, folded her arms over her chest, and glared steadily out at the crowd.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, each looking out over the crowd, before Harry decided the situation needed rationalizing. "Granger."

"What?" She responded after a moment through clenched teeth.

"You're sitting at my table."

"I'm fully aware of that."

"Care to share why?"

"It's as good of a place as any to sit."

Harry glanced at the empty tables on either side of them. "Alright then."

There was silence for a moment. "That asshole!" Hermione let out, clearly irritated. Harry turned to her, slightly surprised at her language. "That bastard _used_ me for the last six years and I let him! Just because of some stupid crush! But, no more! That idiot can go get beat to a pulp by a Bludger for all I care!"

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Granger, you just referenced Quidditch."

"With his love of the vile sport and his lack of skill, the odds are better that he'll get severely injured while playing."

Harry smirked. "I think the odds are better that he'll jinx himself during class now that he doesn't have your help."

A small smile flitted across Hermione's lips. "That would be lovely. Either way, I hope I have a front seat."

Harry leaned back in his chair, relaxed for once, and continued to watch the crowd. He and Hermione shared snippets of conversation for the rest of the dance. He noticed there was always someone looking their way, assessing their interaction. On more than one occasion, one of Hermione's friends would come over and chat with her, and each time Harry expected her to get up and walk away, but she remained seated in the chair. Even when Blaise, Astoria, and Draco sans his date returned to the table for a break from dancing, she didn't leave, choosing to converse with the group.

It wasn't until half past nine when they finally parted. Harry claimed that he was sick of the dance and was going to walk for a bit. For a moment, it looked as if Hermione was going to try to join him, but then she stated she was going to stick around for a while longer. Harry couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed as he walked out of the Great Hall. Ignoring his confusion at his strange feelings, he hurried up the main staircase, intent on clearing a path for the others.

In his fifth year, nearly a year after assisting in resurrecting the Dark Lord in a graveyard, the Dark Lord had requested a meeting. It had taken Harry extreme cunning and excellent planning in order to make it to that meeting and afterwards he realized he would need an easy way to get out the castle for future meetings. That was when he, Draco, and Blaise had discovered the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. A whole summer of researching at Malfoy Manor and hours spent in the room had resulted in an easy connection out of the castle.

Now, he headed up to the seventh floor, causing distractions for any roaming professors or wandering students. He made a brief stop at his dorm to discard his jacket and toss on a cloak over the rest of his costume. By the time he had made the door appear, the others had joined him, each of them wearing their own cloaks over their costumes. They entered the room together.

The cabinet was hidden beneath a sheet a ways into the room. They came upon it after a few minutes and removed the sheet. The cabinet looked fine, but they always sent an object through just to be on the safe side. They couldn't be sure if someone had discovered the cabinet and tampered with it and didn't want to step through without testing it first.

One by one, they stepped into the cabinet, disappearing from sight. Draco had gone first to make sure the coast was clear, with the others following shortly after. Harry was the last to go through. It was strange to travel by cabinet as he was taken over by an unpleasant feeling as the darkness pushed in around him and forced him to the exit point.

When he stepped out of the other side, he found the others already standing around the old boot that was to take them rest of the way. Harry glanced around quickly as he went to join them. They were in the back room of Borgin and Burkes. When they had first discovered the connection with the cabinets, he and Draco (with a little help from Lucius) convinced Mr. Borgin to clear a space for them to come through. Whenever they were to attend a meeting, a Death Eater would drop off the portkey and Mr. Borgin was in charge of leaving the item near the cabinet for them.

Harry joined the others and touched the boot. With a tap of his wand, the portkey was activated and they were transported to a large dungeon room. The boot fell to the floor in a loud thump as they all turned to face the Death Eater standing next to the only door in the room. He was tall and fully decked in his death eater robes, his face hidden in the shadows of his hood. His voice was unfamiliar when he gave the one-word instruction, "Follow me."

The boys gathered behind their greeter as he stalked out of the room. They were led down a narrow hallway, passing a door here and there along the way. The others jumped to the side as Nagini slithered by, hissing at them as she passed. Harry stared after the snake for a moment before returning his attention to their destination.

At the end of the hallway they stopped in front of a small, black door. They heard the faint sound of grunting coming through the door as their guide knocked on the door. After a moment, the guide began knocking impatiently as the grunting only continued. It was another minute of grunting and knocking before a growl sounded on the other side of the door. They waited a breath and the door swung open.

"About time," their guide muttered as he stepped aside.

Standing in the doorway was a shirtless Fenrir Greyback. He only wore a pair of loose black pants, easily revealing the thick gray hair that covered his upper body. He looked down on them with a strange smile. When he spoke, his voice was as raspy as ever. "Come on in, boys." He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the room.

Harry was the first to enter the small chamber, and he didn't know which was worse: the smell or the unconscious naked woman lying on a stone bench. The stench that assaulted his senses was a mix of sweat, human waste, vomit, and sex. Harry had to fight the urge to cover his nose and mouth. The woman was stretched out on the bench with her arms hanging limply over the edge of the bench. Her body was covered in bruises, and Harry noticed a hand-shaped bruise around her neck. There was filth on parts of her body. Her red hair fell limply onto the bench. If Harry hadn't seen the slight rise and fall of her chest, he would have thought she was dead.

Greyback ushered them to one end of the room, gesturing for them to stand in a line. Then, he went over to the woman and lifted her from the bench. He carried her over to the wall opposite them. He used chains handing from the wall to wrap around her wrists. When he stepped to the side, they could see her hanging there, toes barely brushing the floor. She was still unconscious and her head lolled to the side.

Greyback glanced back at the boys before slapping the woman lightly on her cheek. "Come on, sweets. Wake up and say hi to the boys." When she didn't show any signs of waking, he began slapping her harder. When there was still no response, he stopped and rolled his eyes, then walked over to the door. He cracked the door open and stuck his head out. The boys could hear his muffled voice as he spoke to someone. Finally, he stepped back and pushed the door open wider. Their guide entered the room, walked over to the woman, and pointed his wand at her. After a quiet "_Rennervate_," he turned and left the room as the woman's eyes began to flutter open.

Greyback was next to her and grinning at her when she was finally alert enough to focus. She cringed away from him, whimpering with eyes wide with fear. His grin widened at this and he gestured to the boys. "We have an audience, girlie. Why don't you say hi?"

She didn't speak, but her gaze did turn towards them. As her eyes scanned over the group, Harry could only stare at her in shock. She had bright green eyes. Not his eyes—_her _eyes—but remarkably similar. As he began to take in other features, he noticed other similarities. He may only have pictures to go by, but he knew that this woman was about the same age that _she_ had been. He knew that the length and shade of her hair when clean would be a near match to _hers_. Even her height seemed to be the same as _hers_.

He could feel the surge of emotions welling up inside him as these things clicked in his mind. And when her eyes met his, silently pleading for help, he wanted nothing more than to submit to those emotions and kill everyone in his path as he helped her escape.

But, he knew better. He didn't have to glance at Greyback to know that the beast was watching him. He began to push down those emotions. It was difficult. For once, he couldn't get rid of them or ignore them as he always did. He had to settle for controlling them so he wouldn't betray his true thoughts in his eyes or his movements. When he finally felt he had control, he turned his focus on Greyback, whose grin had become a bit crazed in the last few moments.

"Alright," he said as he walked over to a table in the corner. "I'm sure you're wondering what you're doing here. The Dark Lord may not be acceptable of Muggles or their Muggle ways, but even he can't deny the enjoyment of some of their…crueler practices. He often asks me to hold a show when he needs a bit of entertainment." He clapped his hands together. "Which is what we are doing tonight. He has asked me to put on a demonstration in Muggle torture for you to prepare you for the sights to come." He reached toward the table and when he turned back toward them, they could clearly see a pair of pliers in one hand. "Let's get started then."

He walked over to the woman and immediately used the pliers to rip the finger nails off of her right hand. Her screams were instant, hoarse and loud that echoed easily in the room. The tears that had been brimming in her eyes spilled over and streamed down her cheeks. Blood began sliding down her hands and some of it dripped to the floor. As he moved on to her left hand, Harry could only stand still and watch on as Greyback slowly killed the woman.

For two hours, he watched as Greyback removed small body parts, broke bones, and cut into the woman's body with a knife. Several times, she had fallen unconscious, and each time Greyback brought the guide in to wake the woman up before he continued. Eventually, she stopped screaming, too weak to actual put forth the effort, but the tears never stopped. Harry didn't know whether to be relieved or disgusted when Greyback finally extended his claws and gutted the woman with his bare hands.

Greyback took a moment to gaze at the woman. Without turning to look at them, he pointed to the door. "You may go."

Goyle, who looked incredibly pale, was the first to reach the door with Blaise on his heels. Crabbe managed to follow after a moment, though the contents of his stomach were now resting in a bucket that had been behind them. Draco, who was visibly shaken, waited for Harry to show some sign of movement. When Harry nodded, he too followed the others out the door. Harry brought up the rear.

"Hope you enjoyed the show, Potter."

Harry paused at these words and turned to look at the werewolf. That crazed grin seemed to be fixed on his face. Harry nodded, his expression blank. "Yes, it was very enlightening." He caught the werewolf's frown before turning back toward the door.

The trip back to the castle was quiet. None of the boys felt compelled to speak of anything, especially the events of that night. When they stepped out of the Room of Requirement, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise immediately headed toward the Slytherin common room. Harry turned to head toward his own dorm, but Draco stopped him before he could get too far.

Harry seemed to stare right through Draco, even though he stood directly in front of him. "Are you alright?"

Under different circumstances, Harry would have laughed at how stupid that question sounded. Instead, he gave a slow nod and responded in a flat voice, "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine, mate."

He finally focused and looked his friend in the eye. He could see the concern in his eyes. He took a deep breath, "I'm fine. I just need to…think. Go get some rest."

Draco nodded, knowing not to push him any further. He gave Harry a quick pat on his shoulder before he headed off to his dorm.

Harry didn't recall the walk back to his dorm. He couldn't recall if he had passed other students. He was lost within his mind, recalling pictures of his parents and one bad memory he was forced to remember after his first meeting with a dementor. The image of his mother kept blending in with the image of the woman until, in his mind, he was seeing his mother being tortured by Greyback.

When he finally tuned into his surroundings, he was standing in front of Phineas' portrait. The snarky wizard was watching him closely. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, and he didn't care to find out. He gave the password and, after a brief pause, the portrait swung open. He made his way into the common room and over to the couch, where he flopped down. He leaned his elbows on his knees and rested his head in his hands.

He felt the sadness, fear, and loneliness well up inside him. For once, he couldn't stop the tears from coming, but only a few spilled from his eyes. He hadn't cried since before he knew of Hogwarts.

He allowed himself to wallow in his pain for a moment. Then, the anger and rage took over. He started shaking and fisted his hands in his hair. Multiple scenarios of how he would tear apart masses of death eaters and the evil bastard that ruled them tore through his mind. There was a loud roar in his ears as he retreated into his thoughts.

"Potter."

He didn't know how long he had sat there, imagining the bloodbath he would cause.

"_Potter_."

But, he wasn't satisfied at all. He knew he wouldn't be until the Dark Lord lay dead at his feet.

"_Harry!_"

He blinked a few times before focusing on the chocolate brown eyes staring up at him. Hermione was crouched down in front of him. The concern he saw in her eyes was a bit disconcerting. He wanted to shut his eyes against it, but instead found himself staring right back. He didn't protest when she reached up and pried his hands out of his hair. Nor did he protest when she sat next to him and wrapped an arm around him in a one-arm hug. He didn't say anything, just watching her movements with an impassive expression and calculating eyes.

They sat there in silence. Hermione was still in her costume, though she had gotten rid of the spider legs and her shoes were discarded on the floor by the couch. He didn't realize how relaxed his body had become until exhaustion overwhelmed him. He would have gotten up, but at the thought of moving, he decided to sit awhile longer. She made no move to get up either. It was another hour before she insisted they both get some rest and they separated, retreating to their bedrooms.

& ! & ! & ! & !

Alright, so I'm trying to improve my writing and I need your opinions to help! I already know my first problem: taking too long to write. I'm working on that. Beyond that, how is my writing? Too detailed? Not detailed enough? Does everything flow okay? Let me know! Please be constructive if you choose to help out. Otherwise, I will still be happy with the simple reviews of "love it" or "hate it." Thanks!

Cross your fingers and let's hope I have the next chapter up within three weeks.

~Alive~


	6. Chapter Six

******Disclaimer: ******If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

Eh, I'll comment at the bottom. Story first.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Sleep evaded Harry that night. As exhausted as he was, it just wasn't an option for him. The few times he had managed to drift asleep, he was immediately plagued with nightmares and would jerk himself awake after a short time. He spent most of the night staring into the darkness of his room.

Eventually, he grew tired of lying there and got out of bed. He went over to his window and pulled the curtains open. The sun was just beginning to rise. He leaned against the window, pressing his forehead to the cool glass, and watched as the sun rose above the tress of the Forbidden Forest.

The sun had just fully passed the top of the trees when someone began knocking on his door. He ignored it, not wanting to speak to anyone. His eyes remained trained on the scene in front of him, not feeling the need to move from his spot. The knocking persisted until he finally heard the door click open. He only knew of two people that had the access and the gall to come into his room uninvited. Therefore, he wasn't really surprised when he caught a glimpse of bushy hair out of the corner of his eye.

Hermione stopped next to him and leaned against the window. Instead of looking outside though, her attention was fixed on him. He felt her gazing at him and tried to ignore it, but after a minute he sighed. He continued to stare out the window as he spoke. "What do you want, Granger?" Even he noticed the blandness of his tone.

Hermione hesitated before answering. "Are you alright?"

"I'm peachy," he replied in the same monotone.

"That's not very convincing."

Harry turned his head to look at her. His eyes scanned her face, and he could see the worry in her eyes. Instead of addressing her worry, he lifted a hand and pointed to her eye. She had a black eye as well as a cut across her right cheek. "What happened to you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened to _you_?"

Harry rolled his eyes and returned to staring out the window. Hermione watched him for another moment before she sighed and let her gaze wander around his room. "Some of your female housemates were a little upset that I was talking to you." She waved a hand at her face. "This is what I got before the professors interrupted."

"How many of them were there?"

"Four. They were being led by Pansy."

Harry shook his head. "She is a problem I definitely don't need right now. I've never even hinted that I was interested."

"Yeah, well, she screamed 'he's mine' while tackling me, so I'm pretty sure she thinks otherwise."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Obviously, a bit more aggression was needed on that front.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?"

"No. Why should I?"

"I'm concerned, Potter."

"I don't need your concern."

"She's not the only one that's concerned."

They both jumped, not expecting the intrusion, and turned around. Draco stood in the doorway, not hiding his exhaustion. Harry doubted his friend slept much more than he did. Despite that, his clothes were neat and not a hair was out of place—the results of years of Malfoy grooming. Harry only wished he could pull off looking composed so easily at that moment.

"If you two don't mind, I would prefer to be alone right now," Harry said as he turned back toward the window.

Draco and Hermione sighed. "Granger, could you give us a minute?"

Hermione pushed herself off the window and went toward the door. Harry heard the door click, and then there was silence. He knew Draco was still standing behind him, but he continued to pretend to be fascinated by the scenery. After a few minutes, Draco walked over and took Hermione's spot at the window. He too decided to look out at the scenery.

"You know, I was there too last night," Draco said to break the silence.

Harry sighed. "I know."

"So, I get a bit of what you're going through."

"I know."

"You're clearly not alright, but we're not going to discuss that because it's obvious you don't want to. But, I'm sure that we both agree on one thing."

Harry nodded. "Voldemort must die."

"Exactly."

"But first, I must take care of my little problem."

Draco paused before turning to look at him. "She could help with that, you know. There's a reason why she's at the top of our class."

Harry turned to glare at him. "No."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust her."

Draco shook his head. "No, you do trust her. More than you may realize. But, you may not trust her enough to share that information right now, which I understand."

Harry's glare deepened. "I _don't_ trust her."

Draco stared at him for a moment before he smirked. "I hope I'm there when it happens."

Harry frowned. "When what happens?"

"When you pull your head out of your ass." Draco went over to the desk and pulled out the chair before taking a seat. "Anyway, we're getting off topic. There are two more problems you need to know about."

Harry turned completely around and leaned back against the window. "What do you mean?"

"Crabbe received his task last night. The guy that was leading us around slipped it to him. Obviously, he can't say what it is, but whatever it is has to be done outside of Hogwarts. He won't be back after the holidays."

"So that just leaves me, you, and Blaise."

"I think Blaise will be next."

"I don't trust Blaise. He wants power and he'll do whatever it takes to get it. Watch yourself around him."

"I will."

"Okay, what's the other problem?"

"There is a little blonde girl who is very upset that you haven't spoken to her at all this year."

Harry groaned. His shoulders sagged and his head fell forward. He shut his eyes and pressed his fingers to his temples. "Damn, I kept getting distracted. How mad is she?"

"Quite a bit, I suspect. When she pulled me aside on my way up here, she wasn't at all courteous, just very straightforward. You know she isn't usually like that. I hope you have some way of making it up to her."

Harry nodded thinking back to the gift he had gotten her while he had been traveling that summer. He had come across a headdress made of bright red, green, yellow, and blue feathers. He had thought it made the wearer look like a tropical bird and knew she would love it. "When does she want to meet?"

"She said she would be waiting in the classroom during lunch."

Harry nodded. "Alright."

"Are you coming down for breakfast?"

"No, I think I'll be avoiding crowds today."

Draco nodded as he stood up. "Fair enough." He walked over to the door, but paused before opening it. He turned back to look at Harry. "Try to get some sleep while you're hiding out up here, alright mate?"

"I'll try."

Draco watched him for another moment before turning and leaving the room. Harry watched the door shut behind him before he walked over to his trunk. He pulled out the package with the headdress in it and sat it on the desk. Then, he went over to his bed and climbed in. He turned his back against the sun streaming in through the windows and to his delight, he managed to fall asleep within a few minutes.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

_When he cracked open his eyes, he had to squint against the morning light. There were dark clouds filling the sky and a few owls streaked by above him. He was aware that he was lying on his back. He had no urge to move as his other senses seemed to have failed. He felt it was best to remain still until he had gathered his bearings. Just as he had resigned himself to staring up at the sky, his other senses rushed in and he became aware of other things around him. He could feel the wet ground beneath him and his cold, drenched clothes stuck to his skin. He could smell the strong scent of burning wood in the air. He could hear the roar of a crowd nearby, their angry shouts overpowering the natural sounds of the morning. _

_Curiosity peaked, Harry bent his legs and used his arms to push himself up into a sitting position. He turned his head, taking in the scene. He was on the flat top of a hill. He could still hear the riot, but couldn't see anyone. He was sure if he moved towards the edge of the hilltop, he'd see what all the fuss was about._

_His body protested as he forced himself up on his legs. His back throbbed and his legs ached. He felt a sharp pain in his left arm and a quick inspection of the limb revealed a long, deep cut on his forearm and a sleeve soaked in blood. He made a mental note to hunt down Madam Pomphrey soon._

_He had taken one step before his gaze fell on a pile of black robes a few feet away. He would have dismissed it if he hadn't spotted the pale hand sticking out of the pile. The hand was wrapped firmly around a wand, but there was no movement from the hand or the body that was sure to be within the pile of robes._

_He limped over to the body and knelt down. Using what little strength he had, he rolled the body over. The robes shifted and fell away from the head, and Harry could only stare in wonderment. He was looking into the lifeless eyes of Lord Voldemort. His expression was fixed in permanent bewilderment, lips parted as if he would shout out in disbelief. _

_As he stared down at the corpse of his enemy, he knew he had killed him. Though he couldn't remember the details, he knew that a prophecy was fulfilled there on the hill-the same prophecy that had defined his seventeen years of life. He had stood against Lord Voldemort and had come out victorious. The realization that he had taken a life didn't bring on any feelings of shock, remorse, relief, or any other emotion he thought someone would normally feel. Instead, his mouth morphed into a smirk and he felt pride for his victory. Pride and power._

_When he rose back to his feet, the pain he felt moments ago was lost on him. He was easily able to walk to the edge of the hill. A wild grin stretched across his face as turned his gaze down on the scene below him._

_Clearly, a battle had been fought in the field below. Trees were toppled over with some even pulled up from the roots. Parts of the ground were blackened—evidence of the fires that had covered the field. In fact, there was still smoldering piles of debris scattered around with clouds of smoke lifting into the air. Bodies littered the ground, some human and some otherwise. _

_The source of the shouting came from the mob in the middle of the field. There were hundreds of people standing in the field, shouting and raising their fists in anger. Most of them held some sort of weapon; he could see wands, swords, axes, and even a few guns. They were all in a circle with their gazes focused on its center. _

_Harry's gaze shifted to the center of the circle and immediately had to fight the urge to laugh. The few remaining followers of Voldemort were surrounded by the mob. They all had their hands in the air in surrender unable to hide their fear. The mob looked as if they were ready to rip them to shreds and there was nothing that would stop them. _

_Harry had half a mind to sit back and watch the show, but that's when one of the mob members looked up and spotted him on the hill. He saw his lips move but didn't understand what was said due to the distance. Whatever he said drew the attention of the others as everyone turned their heads in his direction. That's when he heard the voices carried to him in the wind. They were saying his name and calling him "savior" and "hero" and other things in recognition of his feat. His heart swelled with pride and he raised his hand to quiet them. The silence was immediate. Then, without prompt, the crowd knelt down before him and stared up at him in reverence. He grinned in satisfaction, happy that the world finally realized that they should kneel at his feet for he was greater than they'll ever be._

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

He slept longer than he expected, but it was still just before lunch when he woke. His dream was clear in his mind and he shook off the feelings that usually came with it. He waited until his emotions were in check before he walked over to the bathroom to prepare for the day. He refused to look in the mirror, afraid he'll see a pair of red eyes staring back at him.

He showered and got dressed, moving slowly since he wasn't in a hurry. He was sure it was near the middle of lunch when he grabbed the box containing the headdress and headed out the door. He knew keeping her waiting wouldn't help his cause.

As he stepped into the hallway, Phineas snarled at him, "Where are you off to?"

Harry ignored the portrait and continued around the corner. He moved through the halls purposefully, avoiding running into his schoolmates. While he couldn't really hide his destination from the curious stares of the portraits, he preferred that their meetings were kept secret from meddling students.

The classroom they usually met in was on the third floor. It was unused and would surely have been covered in dust had it not been for the busy house-elves running around. Chairs were pushed against one wall while tables were pushed against another. The only thing that remained in its normal position was the professor's desk at the front of the room.

Perched on top of the desk was a slender girl with long blonde hair and large silvery grey eyes. Those eyes were currently fixed on him in a heated glare. Harry realized how angry she was when he took in her scowl. He paused in the middle of the room, figuring it was best not to approach until she was calmer.

"Hi Luna," Harry greeted the girl.

"Potter," she replied in a firm voice.

Harry sighed. "Luna, I'm sorry. I've been really distracted."

"Too distracted to even take the time to say hi?"

Harry's face contorted, revealing the guilt he felt. He thought of the quirky blonde as a sister and knew he should treat her better. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you."

"Sorry won't cut it this time, Potter. I think I deserve to be treated far better than a friend of convenience."

Harry flinched. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. You know you're like family to me." He held out the package to her. "I got you something. I found it while I was traveling this summer."

She stared at him for a moment before turning her attention to the package. Her glare had disappeared and she stared at the package with a blank expression. After a minute, Harry thought she had zoned out when she sighed and stretched out her hand. He walked eagerly toward her and placed the package in her hand, but refused to go any closer until he was sure he was forgiven.

He watched as she quickly ripped the wrapping off and opened the box. He didn't think it was possible, but her eyes got wider. She ran her hand over the bright, colorful feathers of the headdress with a look of awe.

When she looked back at him, she smiled. "This will do, Harry." Her voice had returned to its normal dreamy tone. She patted the empty desk space next to her. "Have a seat."

Harry heaved a huge sigh of relief as he walked over and hopped in the table next to Luna. He turned a little to look at her. "How have you been?"

Luna slipped the headdress on and smiled brightly at him. "I've been great. I had an interesting conversation with Hagrid yesterday about thestrals. I doubt you noticed my costume last night, but I think I made a very convincing Plumaleon."

"A what?"

Something seemed to catch her eye because she turned her head and stared into the corner of the room. That vacant expression returned as she continued, "It's a good omen if you cross paths with one. Of course, you have to live after you cross its path..."

"Okay..."

Luna sighed and turned to him. "I supposed you're more interested in what I've Seen."

"I'm interested in the Plamal-_it_. I just don't know what _it_ is. And I don't need to know what you've Seen. I've heard enough scenarios on how I will die.

"This time you didn't die."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Well, that's new. What's changed?"

"I'm not sure. This was a forced vision, not one I called up."

"A prophecy?"

Luna cut her eyes toward him. "I don't have prophecies. You know that."

"You've just told me you haven't had a prophecy _yet_."

"And I don't think I will. I'm almost a fully developed natural Seer. Prophecies are for those who only have a touch of the gift."

"Alright, well what did you see?"

"You, standing in the middle of a battlefield. There weren't as many bodies scattered around as usual. You Know Who was nowhere to be seen."

Harry was silent as he thought about this new development. Since he had met Luna at the end of his second year, she had been telling him he was going to die in a battle against Voldemort. This was the first time she had Seen him alive during that battle, and he wondered if it was a good thing. After accepting that he was going to die before his nineteenth birthday, the possibility of a different outcome sounded ridiculous even to him.

His mind drifted to his dream. Her vision bared some resemblance to it and he wondered if there was some possibility...He shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was best not to drift down that train of thought.

Luna had turned her eyes on him. She watched him for a moment before asking the one question he wanted to avoid since the dance. "What's your relationship with Hermione Granger?"

Harry lifted his eyebrows in surprise as he turned to look at the younger girl. "What relationship?"

"The rumors going around suggest that there is some relationship between you two."

Harry snorted, not hiding his annoyance. "There is no relationship. At best, we tolerate each other."

She stared at him with her wide eyes. He was always slightly unnerved when she stared at him like that. Finally, she asked a question that only baffled him further, "Have you ever thought about changing that?"

"What are you talking about?"

She hopped off the desk, pulled the headdress off, and gathered the wrapping and the headdress in her arms. "Perhaps you should seek more than tolerance. A friendship with Hermione Granger would certainly prove useful." She continued to speak as she skipped toward the door. "Following in your father's footsteps wouldn't be a bad idea either." She paused before leaving the room and turned to look at him. "And beware of nargles, Harry." Then, she was gone from the room.

Harry stared at the empty doorway, puzzled by Luna's parting words. Both his friends seemed to be hinting at something with Granger, though he couldn't understand why they would. Maybe the rumors Luna spoke of were affecting their judgment. In any case, he knew he would have to do something to discourage such ideas.

Shaking his head, he slid off the desk and hurried out of the room and into the hallway. He wanted to get back to his room and finish his potions homework while he seemed focused enough to do so. Lunch was almost over also, and he wanted to make it to his room undetected.

He was heading up a staircase when he heard his name being called. He stopped and turned his head to see Pansy rushing after him. Though her face was heavily covered in makeup, he could see how red in the face she was. Once she had stomped her way up to him, he could even make out the faint traces of a black eye, a bruised left cheek, and three fingernail scratches on her right cheek. It was clear who had been the winner of the fight from last night. He turned fully so he was looking down at her as he was on the higher step.

"What did you do to me, Potter?" Pansy whispered angrily at him.

Harry feigned ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Parkinson."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Pansy screamed before getting a hold of herself. Her voice returned to an angry whisper. "It keeps growing back."

He smirked. "What keeps growing back?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Potter! I know it wasn't Granger. There were no wands involved. That only leaves you. Make. It. Stop."

"I doubt I'm the only enemy you've made in this school, Pansy."

"No, but you're the only one capable of doing this to me. Remove this curse, Potter."

Harry sneered. "No."

"What?" Pansy screeched. "Why not? Why would you do this?"

"You need to get something through that thick head of yours, Pansy. I. Don't. Want. You. And you have no claim over me. You are nothing but a whore, and I would never want anything as used as you are." He took a step back. "And that little curse will ensure that you relive the experience of losing your virginity over and over again. Only each time you spread your legs and let someone fuck you, it'll hurt worse and worse until you feel nothing but pain."

He could see the tears brimming in her eyes, but her voice was firm when she spoke. "What do I have to do to get you to remove it?"

"Oh, I don't remove it. What you can do to make sure I don't ever curse you again is to pretend Harry Potter doesn't exist because I can assure you after this moment you won't exist to him." He took another step back. "You have three months. Three months of absolutely no sex before that curse will lift. Hopefully, you'll gain a little respect for yourself in that time." He turned and continued on his way, leaving Pansy on the staircase, confident that the problem with the slutty Slytherin had been resolved.

He made it to his common room without another confrontation. He was ready to stretch out on his bed and think about his next move. Instead, he walked inside to find Draco and Hermione sitting on the couch, deep in conversation. They stopped abruptly when he entered the room and turned to stare at him. Draco held a smirk on his face while Hermione was frowning as if she were deep in thought.

Harry held up his hands when it looked as if Draco was about to speak. "Don't let me interrupt. I'll just be heading to my room."

It wasn't Draco that stopped his trek to his room. "Potter, we need to talk."

"I don't agree."

"No, Harry," Draco cut in. The smirk was still planted on his face, and it seemed to taunt Harry. "You need to have this talk."

"I'm sure you and Granger can handle whatever issues you two are having."

"This isn't about us. It's about you two." Draco stood up and moved over to an armchair, throwing his legs over one of its arms. "I'll just sit over here to offer my opinion when it's needed." He gestured to the spot he just vacated. "You should sit, Harry."

Harry looked between the two of them before sighing and taking a seat. "This had better be good." Draco just smiled at him.

Hermione stood up and began pacing in the space between the couch and table. She wrung her hands together before she took a deep breath and began. "I was cornered by Professor Dumbledore and pulled into his office for a meeting before lunch today."

Harry frowned. "And why do I need to know this?"

She sighed. "The meeting was about you."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he glanced at Draco before looking back at Hermione. "What?"

"He was asking me everything about you. He wanted to know what you did during the days, if you disappeared at times, and if I noticed any strange behavior. It was a bloody interrogation that he sprang on me the moment I sat down in his office. I didn't appreciate it."

"Did you tell him anything?"

"No. After a few minutes, I suggested the headmaster speak directly to you and excused myself."

"What were you thinking of while you were there?"

"What does that have to do with anything?

"Granger, just answer the question."

Hermione looked affronted, but answered anyway. "I was immediately suspicious of why he was asking _me_, of all people, about _you_."

Harry nodded. "Good." After seeing her frustrated expression, he further explained, "Dumbledore is a Legilimens. He could have easily read your mind and if you had been thinking of anything incriminating about me, I would need to know. I imagine after reading your surface thoughts he didn't want to raise anymore suspicion by keeping you any longer and allowed you to leave."

Hermione nodded in understanding and continued. "Well, during up lunch, I managed to catch Draco's attention and we came up here to talk." She hesitated, throwing a glance at Draco.

"Spit it out, Granger."

"There's a war in the wizarding world. It's obvious you're not on Dumbledore's side. And Draco tells me you're not on You Know Who's side either. If there's any side I fear, it would be You Know Who's side what with his dislike of Muggles and Muggleborns." She took a deep breath before rushing on. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

Harry quirked an eyebrow and shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

She walked over and stood in front of him. "Why not? I think I have the right to learn to defend myself."

"Then find someone else. Or teach yourself. I don't care, but I won't teach you a bloody thing." He tried to push her aside so he could stand up, but she stood her ground.

"I'd learn quicker from someone with experience. Draco says you're an excellent fighter."

Harry glared at his friend and his infuriating smirk. "Draco seems to be saying quite a lot lately."

"Why won't you teach me?"

"Why do you want _me_ to teach you?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "I've seen you in class and the few times you've actually fought in school. I can tell you have some experience in duels. Plus, Draco told me you taught him how to hold his own in a fight too."

"It's not just some duel, Granger. That's what you need to understand. And to teach you would require a lot of time and patience that I just don't have."

Hermione bristled at this. "I am not some naïve first year, Potter. I can tell that a battle is coming. I want to be prepared for it. I'm a fast learner. And this is my life we're talking about. I would like to be able to protect myself if Death Eaters decided to attack."

"I think you should teach her," Draco added.

Harry stared at Draco, who only shrugged under his watchful gaze. He didn't understand why his friend was pushing him to do this. He knew he believed Hermione could help them, but teaching her to fight wasn't going to help them at all. Whatever Draco's reason was to support this, Harry knew it was important enough if he was willing to piss him off. He had learned years ago to trust Draco's instincts as well as his own.

He turned back to Hermione with a sigh. "Fine, I'll do it. But, you're going to have to learn Occlumency and pretty fast. I don't want Dumbledore or Snape pulling anything I teach you out of your head."

Hermione sighed in relief and sat back down on the couch. "Wait…Professor Snape?"

"Yes, he's good at Legilimency and wouldn't hesitate to use it to his advantage. Watch yourself around him."

Hermione nodded. "Is tomorrow okay to start?"

Harry leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch and staring up at the ceiling. "That's fine, but it'll have to be after supper. I have Quidditch practice after classes."

"Okay." Hermione stood up. "Well, I'm going to find Ginny. See you guys." She hurried out of the common room.

Draco was grinning. "Well, you put up less of a fight than I expected."

Harry continued to stare at the ceiling. "I don't know why you want me to do this, but I hope it's for a damn good reason."

Draco stood. "I just think it'll be good for you." He began walking toward the exit.

"How?" Harry practically growled out. His response was Draco's laughter as he disappeared out the portrait hole, leaving Harry with one prominent thought: blondes are really annoying.

& ! & ! & ! & !

Ok, so, I understand it has been awhile and my expected date to post just kept getting pushed back. Sorry about that. I'm really trying to work on incorporating more time to write in my schedule.

Also, I apologize for any formatting issues in this chapter. My iPod and my computer don't seem to get along.

Big THANKS to those of you that gave me constructive reviews on the story. They were definitely helpful and let me know where I stand in polishing up my writing. Please continue to provide those!

My goal is always to post within three weeks, but obviously I'm having trouble hitting that. Life stuff. Until next time, folks!

~Alive~


	7. Chapter Seven

********Disclaimer: ********If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

Let's just get to the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

"Come on, Granger, hit me!"

"Believe me, I'm trying!"

"Well, try harder. You were the one that said you were ready for a duel."

"Shut it, Potter!"

Harry could only laugh.

Despite his initial reluctance to teach Hermione how to fight, he was actually enjoying the task. He had forgotten how much he enjoyed training someone since he and Draco had stopped the prior year. An added bonus was that he was a far better fighter than Granger and loved reminding her of it.

At that thought, he sent a stinging hex whizzing toward his opponent on the other side of the room. It hit its target, causing the young woman to scream and clutch her bottom in pain.

"Potter, you arse!"

Harry couldn't remember laughing so hard. He was doubled over, using his knees for support so he wouldn't fall to the floor. His eyes were tearing up and he began feeling a sharp pain in his side. He would have continued had he not noticed the bright blue light flying towards him. He quickly rolled to the floor, avoiding the spell. He got to his feet and immediately stepped to the right to dodge the ball of red light that was meant for his head. He sobered and focused his attention on his bushy-haired opponent. He shot off three spells in rapid succession at her. One hit her in the shoulder while another hit her square in the abdomen. The last hit her legs—a trip jinx that caused her to tumble to the floor. She landed on her back with a satisfying thump.

Harry stood there for a moment. When he realized she wasn't getting up, he walked over to her and looked down on her. She was breathing deeply and glaring at the ceiling. She bent her arms and legs and tried sitting up, but after a weak attempt, she fell back to the floor.

Harry smiled down at her. "Shall we take a break?"

Hermione transferred her glare to him, but nodded in defeat. Grinning, he stretched out his hand to her. She reached up to grasp it and he pulled her to her feet. As he led the way to the armchairs on the far side of the room, he noticed her limping.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, more out of concern at getting caught than her well-being.

"I'm fine," she replied through gritted teeth, "just bruised and sore."

He watched as she slowly lowered herself into a chair. He could see a few scratches on her face and hands, but nothing serious was visible. The last thing he needed was for people to start questioning why the head girl looked like she had been beaten up. Relieved, he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Still think you were ready for dueling?"

She sighed. Her head was resting against the back of the chair and her eyes were closed. "I underestimated you, Potter."

"You should never underestimate your opponent. It could easily get you killed." Hermione grunted in reply and he rolled his eyes. "Rest for a bit, then we'll go back to practicing spells." She groaned and rolled her head to the side.

Harry leaned back in his chair and surveyed the room. They were in the Room of Requirement. During his third year, he had stumbled across the room in his search for a place to train. The room had presented him with the room they were currently in. It was large enough to hold a large group of people. Half of the room was open floor—an area where they could practice spells and fighting without worrying about breaking anything or running into any obstacles. There wasn't any type of padding, just stone walls and stone floor so the impact of slamming into either surface wouldn't be cushioned. The other half of the room was a small study area. There was a large, soft rug covering the floor with a table at its center. There were two black armchairs on both sides of the table. Along the wall was a fireplace with a large bookcase on each side of it. The bookcases were filled to capacity with books on defensive and offensive spells as well as some books that would normally be found in the restricted section of the library.

They had started just three weeks ago. They met every night during the week and on Sunday evenings. The sessions were supposed to be short, lasting two hours at most, with one long session on Sunday, but it didn't take long for those short sessions to start running past midnight. Hermione was very determined and often refused to stop until she had shown significant progress. After the sessions, they would return to the common room and hit the books, struggling to complete the homework that they had begun to neglect. Usually, this meant that they were pushing through the day on only three hours of sleep, but Hermione refused to let up on training.

They had spent the first two weeks of training on Occlumency. Harry didn't want to risk the headmaster or Snape reading thoughts from Hermione's mind that he'd prefer remained secret. Hermione turned out to be a quick study. While she couldn't completely throw off a Legilimens, she could turn them off the memory they were searching for. She Still didn't have the best control and that's why they still dedicated one session each week to improving her Occlumency skills.

When they had started practicing spells, Harry immediately refused dueling. He wanted her to master spells before putting them into practice. They had gone through the spells they had learned from previous Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. He had also begun showing her spells he had learned from the collection of books in the Room of Requirement. Most of the spells they worked on were defensive spells since the main priority was to teach Hermione how to protect herself. He had intended on focusing on spells for a month before attempting any duels, but Hermione had spent the entire week begging and nagging him for a duel. That night he had given in.

He hadn't held back at first. He wanted to show her why he had insisted on waiting: she just wasn't ready to face him yet. He had unleashed spell after spell on her. While she was able to block a few, there were plenty of spells that had hit their mark. He had waiting nearly twenty minutes to let up and allow her the opportunity to take offense, which turned out to be unsuccessful. He believed she was so thrown off from having to dodge and block his spells that she couldn't aim a spell properly at him. He was amazed she hadn't asked to stop and didn't give up until she couldn't get up anymore. Her endurance did show promise.

He glanced over at her. Her eyes were still closed and he wondered briefly if she was sleeping. After what he just put her through, he was sure she would respect his future decisions regarding her training, which is what he had wanted to accomplish when he had agreed to the duel.

They sat there for a few minutes before Harry leaned over and tapped Hermione on the arm. "Come on, Granger. Time to practice the Patronus charm."

Hermione peeled her eyes open and peered at him. "Now?" He could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"Yes, now. It's what we were going to do before you pestered me into wasting time on that duel."

"I don't think I can, Potter. Can we stop for the night?"

"No, we need to work on this."

Suddenly, her pain was clear, as if she couldn't hold it back anymore. "Please, Harry, I need to stop."

He paused, unsure of what to do. This was what had changed, what had caught him off-guard. There were emotions that crept up on him whenever she was around. He didn't fully understand _why_ he started feeling _anything_ for the Head Girl. All he knew was that he _cared_. He didn't want to care. It was too much trouble caring about someone. He could count on one hand the people he admittedly cared about and he didn't want to add her to that list.

Pushing his feelings aside, he stood up. "No, Granger, we need to do this tonight. He can easily pull dementors to his side, and once loose, they will not hesitate to attack anyone that crosses their path."

Hermione sighed. "I know. I just—"

"You wanted to learn to protect yourself. I'm trying to teach you what you need to know. Now, get up."

"Fine." She pushed herself up from the chair and took a step toward the practice area. She stumbled, catching herself on the arm of the chair before she could fall to the floor.

Harry stepped next to her and offered his arm. She raised an eyebrow at him and he rolled his eyes. "Lean on me. We have to practice this tonight."

She glared at him, but placed a hand on his forearm. He noticed that she leaned heavily on his arm as he led her to the practice area. Her limp was more prominent, but he ignored the urge to help her any further.

It took her a moment to get into the exercise, but he could see her truly put in an effort after a few minutes. They continued for nearly an hour with Harry making her repeatedly produce a Patronus. While she practiced the spell, he watched her, noting every flinch and hiss of pain. He paid far more attention to her condition than he was happy with. When he finally called it quits, he wasn't surprised when she collapsed on the spot.

He immediately crouched down beside her. She was lying on her back, constantly shifting her right foot as if she couldn't find a comfortable position for it. "What is it, Granger?"

"M-my ankle," she answered through gritted teeth. "I think I t-twisted it wrong when I was dodging one of y-your spells."

Sighing, he sat fully on the floor and shifted until he was closer to her foot. Then, he carefully moved the limb into his lap. He gingerly removed her shoe and sock, setting them on the ground next to him. She was wearing loose black pants, which made it easy for him to roll the pant leg up above her knee. He gently ran his fingers over her swollen ankle and along her lower calf, spreading magical tendrils over the area.

Hermione gasped and hissed during his inspection. "Wh-What are you doing, Potter?"

"I'm checking your ankle, Granger. If it's broken, we'll have to get you to Madam Pomfrey."

She sat up a little, using her arms to prop herself up, so she could watch him. "And h-how are you able to t-tell if it's broken?"

He finished his inspection. "I've studied some healing magic before." He focused on the spell he needed and wrapped his hands around her ankle. His hands warmed as he focused his magic on her ankle. He felt the swelling go down as her ankle began to heal. Once he was finished, he held her leg up by its calf and told her to rotate.

Hermione frowned as she rotated her ankle. "Wow that feels much better. Where did you learn to do that?"

"I read, Granger, probably about as much as you."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him. "Why didn't you do this before?"

He rolled his eyes. "Because you need to learn to deal with the pain. Your enemy is not going to stop mid-fight so you can heal yourself."

She sighed and lay back down on the floor. "Fine, but can you heal the rest of me? My entire body is aching."

"I will not. The aching is natural after the first fight. Draco was hurting for weeks when we first started. Besides, have you been doing the stretches I told you to do?"

Hermione groaned. "Yes."

"Every morning?"

"No, not every morning. I sometimes don't have time due to homework. I barely have enough time to get a few hours of sleep."

"You're supposed to do it every morning. Your muscles wouldn't hurt so much if you did." He absentmindedly began kneading his fingers into her calf. "What assignment were you working on that took all night?"

"The Transfiguration essay and the Potions essay. I was up until nearly two in the morning writing those."

"It wouldn't take you so long if you didn't write novels instead of essays."

"I like to be thorough with my assignments, Potter. That's why I'm at the top of our class."

"You are an overachiever. I'm sure you'd still be ahead of the class even if you did half of the work you do now."

"Well, we'll never find out. I always do my best and I won't stop."

Harry sighed. "Of course you won't."

She sat up completely and he could see her determined expression and the glint of anger in her eyes. He knew she was ready to lecture him on her reasons for her studious behavior, but the door to the room creaked open as an angered Draco walked in, effectively interrupting any speech she was prepared to give.

Harry watched as Draco began to storm toward them before stopping halfway toward them. His expression morphed into one of puzzlement as he looked on at the pair, and Harry quickly took in their positions to see what had caused his friend to stop. He realized they were far closer than before now that she was sitting up and that his hands were resting just above her right knee. Finally realizing his subconscious actions, he dropped her leg and immediately stood up. He hurried over to Draco, who couldn't hide the smirk that readily appeared.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he stopped next to his friend, purposely turning his back toward Hermione.

Draco glanced at Hermione before returning his gaze to Harry. "Am I interrupting something?"

Harry glared at him. "Don't start. What are you doing here? Did something happen?"

Seeming to remember why he was there, Draco's anger returned. He held up a crumpled piece of parchment which he had been clutching in his fist. "I've received my task."

Harry frowned. "What is it?"

"They want Luna."

Harry's temper rose instantly. "What do you mean 'they want Luna?'" He practically growled out.

"Exactly that. They want me to get her out of the castle and to them. I have until the first of February."

"But how did they find out about her?" He was nearly shouting now.

"I don't know."

Harry clenched his fists, as his anger rose to new heights while his mind went into overdrive. Someone was watching him and reporting his personal life to Voldemort. Not many had the kind of access to him to gather any kind of personal information. He mentally ran through a list of possible suspects. His eyes narrowed as he narrowed his list down.

He stepped away from Draco, who was watching him with a small hint of fear, and marched over to his bag. He sifted through his bag until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out an old, folded piece of parchment. He unfolded the parchment, pulled out his wand, and tapped the parchment's surface while muttering to himself. Moments later, an intricate map appeared, filling in the blank space. His eyes roved over the parchment until he found the two dots he was looking for.

After staring at the map for a few minutes, Harry walked back over to Draco. "Was Blaise in the common room when you left?"

Draco thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, he was on the big couch in the corner."

"Did he see you leave?"

"Probably. I didn't really stop and pay attention."

"Did you take the route I told you to take when coming here?"

"Yeah, every single turn. Why are you asking? What's going on?"

Harry held out the parchment to Draco, who took it and looked down at it curiously. "I think he tried to follow you. He's hanging out between the main staircase and the staircase we usually take like he's waiting for one of us to show." He shook his head as he accepted the obvious. "Looks like Blaise received his task."

Draco frowned as he looked up at Harry. "Spying on you?" Harry nodded. "How long do you think this has been going on?"

"Who knows? But, it wasn't unexpected. That's why I refused to discuss anything important around him. Even without the task, I knew Blaise would easily betray us if it meant he could move up in Voldemort's ranks."

Draco's frown deepened. "What are you going to do?"

"I need to think." He turned away from Draco, gaze sliding to floor as his mind raced.

His first priority was protecting Luna. It seriously pissed him off that he now had to worry about her safety. Their friendship had been well-hidden for five years in an effort to avoid putting her in harm's way. The castle seemed the safest place for her, though with Christmas break and another Hogsmeade trip coming up, it may be difficult to convince her to stay on the grounds. He was less worried about the threats within the castle than the ambitious wizards outside the castle walls that want to ensure that Draco's task is carried through. He'd have to have a talk with her soon so she would at least know to be on her guard.

His thoughts turned towards his plans. With Draco receiving his task already, it gave him a better expectation of his deadline. He knew the Dark Lord was planning an attack and he wanted to be sure that his plans were completed before then. He knew it would be a very large scale attack at either the Ministry or Hogwarts. No matter where it was, he had every intention of making sure Voldemort would die during the attack.

Mentally confirming his next steps, he turned to inform Draco. Instead of seeing his blonde best friend, he met the stern and curious gaze of the Head Girl. He blinked his eyes a few times, realizing he had forgotten she was in the room. He looked over her shoulder to see Draco sprawled out in one of the chairs, watching them with a smirk. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back on Hermione. "Granger, we're done for the evening." He made to step around her, but she followed his movement and blocked his path.

She placed her hands on her hips and stared him in the eye. "What's going on?"

"It's not your concern."

She tipped her head back in Draco's direction. "Draco thinks it should be my concern."

Harry shifted his gaze to his friend and glared at him. Of course, Draco had been pushing him for the last couple of weeks to tell Hermione everything. It didn't surprise him that he was going behind his back and planting the idea in Hermione's head. "Draco is mistaken," he said through gritted teeth as he kept his eyes on Draco. He tried to step around her again, but she blocked him once more.

"It's not just Draco. Luna came to me." He shifted his gaze back to her, confused by this new piece of information. "She found me in the library earlier this week. She said I should learn all your secrets—by force if I have to." She said the last part with a smirk and a gleam in her eye.

He stared at her, indecisive on whether to let her in. Trust was not something he gave easily. But, Draco had been nagging him to trust her and he remembered what Luna had said. Would a friendship with Hermione prove to be useful? He had never been keen on sharing his secrets. Even Draco didn't know all of them.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione whispered as his silence stretched on. "I think I can help."

Harry frowned. "How?"

"Tell me what's going on," she pleaded. "After all, one extra mind wouldn't hurt."

He hesitated another minute, before sighing and grabbing her hand. "Fine, but I need to sit down for this." He pulled her over to the chairs where a smiling Draco was waiting.

"Excellent," Draco said as they approached.

Harry rolled his eyes and motioned Hermione to the chair across from Draco. He released her hand as he took the seat next to her. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair before finally looking over at her. "Alright, I'm sure you know all about what happened to me as a baby?" Hermione nodded. "Good. What you may not know is Dumbledore sent me to live with my mother's sister after that night. They were horrible to me, starved me at times, and made me live in a cupboard for eleven years." Hermione's eyes widened at this, but he kept going. "Honestly, after Hagrid dropped in on us and I finally received my letter, I didn't care where I went as long as I wasn't stuck with them anymore.

"When I arrived at Hogwarts, I didn't know anything about magic as I was raised as a Muggle basically. I learned as quickly as I could though. I doubt you noticed, but I was in the library almost as much as you were.

"It turned out to be the smart thing to do. I faced Voldemort—" Hermione flinched at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. "Honestly, if you're going to help me with this, you'll have to get used to the name." Hermione sighed and nodded. "I faced Voldemort my first year here when he was going after the Sorcerer's Stone. He was sharing a body with Professor Quirrell while he worked on a way to restore himself and gain a body of his own. I faced him again my second year when Ginny was using his old diary in which he had placed a piece of his soul. I don't know if she's told you this, but he used her to open the Chamber of Secrets that year and sic a basilisk on the school.

"I had already been questioning the situation from my first year, but the second year was too suspicious. Dumbledore is supposed to be a smart, powerful wizard. How did anyone get away with walking around this castle while sharing a body with a dark wizard? How could he not know how the Chamber was being opened and how the students were being petrified? And why would he let a boy that hadn't even reached his teen years run around fighting these things?

"I confronted him immediately after I had gotten out of the Chamber of Secrets. That's when he told me about the prophecy. It says basically that one of us will have to die at the other's hand. Dumbledore was manipulating me into these situations to prepare me for the inevitable. I already had problems trusting the man and that didn't help.

"Once I had heard the prophecy and realized there was no way of getting out of it, I began preparing myself to ensure that Voldemort would be the one to die. I did physical training during the summers when I was stuck with my Muggle relatives. When I returned to school, I made sure to continue my training and dedicated as much time as possible to learning as many spells as I could. This room is where I spent much of my free time.

"In my fourth year when I was forced to participate in the Triwizard Tournament, it wasn't an accident that I won. A death eater using polyjuice potion had ensured that my name was entered in the goblet and that it would be chosen. He made sure that I was the first one to touch that cup when we were in the maze.

"I lied when I came back that night. The goblet took me to the graveyard where Voldemort and his minion, Peter Pettigrew, were waiting for me. Pettigrew chained me to a gravestone, cut my arm, and used my blood to create a new body for his master." Hermione gasped, but Harry kept going. "I was actually glad it happened. At least knowing he was back meant I wouldn't spend years waiting for it to happen.

"He wanted to fight me that night, but changed his mind when I told him I wanted to join him." Hermione shifted in her seat. "I knew he couldn't resist having me on his side. So, he let me go, but I couldn't reveal that he was back.

"He started summoning me in our fifth year. It was just me at first before the others started coming with me. I did what he asked when he asked without hesitation. I needed him to understand that I was there because I wanted to be and not because someone forced me to be. He trusts me to a point, but even now he still believes I'm working for Dumbledore.

"I'm telling you all of this so you can understand where I'm coming from. I wanted to understand him and understand his reasons for doing what he's done. Joining him gave me access to information I wouldn't normally have had."

"It makes sense. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

Harry nodded then glanced at Draco before taking a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?" Hermione shook her head. "I thought so. It's not something you'd run across in our school curriculum. A Horcrux is an object in which someone has stored a piece of their soul in an effort to achieve immortality. In order to create one, the person has to kill someone. Before he had attacked my family, Voldemort had created six of them."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What?"

Harry nodded. "Dumbledore told me in fifth year. It was one of few meetings with him that I agreed to. After he told me, I focused on gaining as much information as I could whenever I was around Voldemort. Last year, I dropped a few key words when I was around him. It's amazing how a single word can cause a fleeting memory that is easily readable with Legilimency. When I turned seventeen this past summer, I left my Muggle home and traveled all over, hunting his Horcruxes and destroying them. Of the ones he knowingly created, only his snake remains, which I don't expect to have access to until he attacks. All of his Horcruxes must be destroyed in order for Voldemort to die.

"My…dilemma…is that when he attacked me when I was a baby, he transferred a piece of his soul into me. To make sure he stays dead, all pieces of his soul have to be destroyed, which means—"

"You have to die."

"Preferably not. We've been trying to find a way to destroy a soul without destroying its vessel. So far, we've come up with nothing. I am prepared to die, if necessary." Draco and Hermione glared at him. "Don't look at me like that. I am ready to do what must be done to make sure he dies."

Draco bristled. "Just because some prophecy—"

"It's not just the prophecy, Draco. It never has been. It's more of a personal vendetta. This slime ruined my life in one night, and now I'm determined to destroy his."

Draco growled and looked as if he wanted to hit his friend, but instead he slumped back in his chair and fixed his gaze on the wall. Hermione spared him a glance before turning back to Harry. "So, we have to kill him without killing you. Sounds difficult, but I do know a few books I can check."

"Don't bother. We've been through practically every book in that library, forbidden or otherwise, and there was nothing helpful."

"I didn't say the books were in the library, Potter. I have a contact that is into experimental healing magic. She may know something useful or at least be able to point us in the right direction."

"Can you trust her?"

"Enough. I won't give her too many details anyway."

Harry nodded. "Fine. How long will it take to contact her? We don't have much time."

"She's usually quick to respond, it just depends on the owl. Normally, it takes about two weeks."

Harry shook his head. "No, that won't work. You'll use Augustus. He is faster than normal owls. Write a letter tonight and I'll take you to him first thing in the morning." He stood up. "For now, I think we need to get back to our rooms. We've already been out far later than usual. Draco, take the map. We don't need you being caught by Filch when it's past curfew."

He watched as Draco and Hermione stood up. Draco went to grab the Marauder's Map while Hermione gathered her things. His gaze lingered on Hermione as he idly wondered how he had reached the point where he was willingly letting her in on anything. He decided it was best not to think on it for the time being and went to collect his bag. Soon, they were standing outside the Room of Requirement, watching the door disappear.

Harry turned to Draco. "Be careful. And don't let him know that we know he's been spying. It may be useful to us later." Draco nodded and turned to head back to the Slytherin dormitory, eyeing the map as he walked.

Harry turned and headed toward his rooms with Hermione keeping pace by his side. They walked in silence as they navigated the hallways. It was as they detoured into a side corridor to avoid the annoying antics of Peeves did Hermione's curiosity win out.

"I thought you hated the wizarding world," she blurted out as they rounded the corner.

He glanced at her and shifted the strap of his bag. "Just the majority of the people."

"So, why would you die for them?"

"Not for them. Frankly, I would disappear from this place and leave them to fend for themselves given the chance."

"Why don't you?"

"I want him dead and I will make sure it happens."

"How can you kill him if you're dead?"

"I can't. But, if I'm dead, someone else can. Maybe even our poor excuse of a headmaster."

"And we're supposed to go on? Spreading the word of your sacrifice?"

"No," Harry stopped, turning to face her. "No one is to know of this. I've already been immortalized in life. I just want to die and let that be it."

Hermione stared at him. "Do you _want_ to die?"

"I just want this to be over."

Hermione stared at him. She frowned at what she saw and took a step closer to him. "Harry Potter, you are not going to die. Neither Draco nor I will let that happen." She emphasized her last sentence by poking him in the chest. Shocked and mildly irritated, he reached up and grabbed her hand to stop her. She glared. "You're going to be around for a while, so just get used to the idea." She ripped her hand from his and grabbed his wrist. "Come on, we have work to do." She began marching down the hallway, towing a bewildered Harry behind her.

& ! & ! & ! & !

I know, I know. It's been a long time. Life stuff happened and I didn't have the time or focus for this story. But, I have time now and I am working on this.

Thanks for your patience!

If there are any mistakes in this, I apologize. My read-through was really fast.

~Alive~


	8. Chapter Eight

**********Disclaimer: **********If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

Yes, I know. I'm working on this timing thing. Happily, this new chapter is up! Better news! The next chapter is already half done! Bad news: I'm going to start focusing my attention on my original works because I want to get something published. Before I do that though, I'm completing as many chapters as I can before I really focus on it, so I can update a new chapter every three to four weeks. This WILL get finished and hopefully before 2014.

Now, on to the story...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

Harry hid in the shadows of the Entrance Hall, watching as the early risers began emerging from their various corridors to get to breakfast. It wasn't often that he started his day with the sun, but he did have business to attend to. After taking Hermione to the Owlery to send her letter off with Augustus, they split up. She headed for the library despite his already telling her there were no books left to look through while he headed downstairs where he would wait for the first encounter on his agenda for the day. He mentally prepared himself for the conversation he was about to have as students began to pass him, not giving him the slightest glance.

When he saw his target come shuffling down the stairs alone, he paused for a moment. The once short and chubby Gryffindor had grown into a tall, lanky seventeen-year-old. Over the years, Neville Longbottom had retained some of his quiet, self-conscious personality. However, he has had moments where he has shown his worthiness of his place in Gryffindor with rare displays of courage. Though it was obvious he tried to avoid confrontation, when stuck in a situation, the Gryffindor never backed down. Harry was counting on this.

Harry pushed off the wall he was leaning against and took a few quick steps toward Neville, stopping in the taller boy's path. Neville nearly bumped into him before he realized anyone was there. When he saw it was Harry, he immediately took two steps back, shooting Harry a weary look. "What do you want, Potter?"

"We need to talk."

"Why would I talk to you?"

"You don't need to talk. You just need to listen."

Neville shook his head. "I don't think so." He tried to take a step around Harry, but was quickly blocked again.

Harry shifted the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "Look, I know you'd rather be anywhere else right now, but I really need to talk to you and I'm not going to stop bothering you until I do."

Neville stared at him for a moment before shaking his head once again. "There is nothing you have to say that I'd be interested in hearing."

Harry took a deep breath. "It's about you…and your parents." Harry watched as Neville's expression morphed from surprise to fear to anger. Sensing the boy was ready to explode, Harry hurried to the empty classroom he had scoped out earlier, knowing Neville would follow him.

Once they were both inside, Harry shut the door and pulled out his wand. Before Neville could question him, he explained, "I'm just putting up a few wards. I'd rather we not be overheard." He noticed Neville remained tense while he had his wand out. When he finally put it up, the Gryffindor relaxed, but only a little.

"Alright, Potter. What is this about?"

Harry slipped his bag off his shoulder and took a seat on top of a desk, sitting his bag next to him. "Did you know that both your parents and mine were part of a group in the resistance against Voldemort?" He did his best to hide his irritation when Neville flinched at the name and continued. "Our headmaster had formed a group called the Order of the Phoenix and our parents were active members, fighting against Voldemort and his followers. I would think our parents were well-hated, yours even more since they were aurors."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I know about your parents. How they were tortured to the point of insanity all those years ago and are now permanent residents of St. Mungo's." He ignored the telltale signs of Neville's fury and pushed on. "Thing is, I don't believe it was a random decision that it was your parents that were captured and tortured."

"Get on with it."

Harry withheld his smirk at Neville's irritation. "This whole...thing...with Voldemort, the attack on my family, and I believe your parents, started with a prophecy. Trelawney, as crazy as the woman is, made a true prophecy that there would be a child born that would be able to defeat Voldemort."

"Yeah, you. What does this have to do with me or my family?"

"It could have been you."

Neville snorted. "You're the one with the scar."

Harry nodded. "True. Voldemort ensured it would be me when he fulfilled his part of the prophecy. But, he had a choice. It was either you or me."

"What are you talking about?"

"Simply put, the prophecy said the one to defeat the Dark Lord would be born at the end of July to a couple who had escaped him three times. Only two couples fit the description. Voldemort chose my family for reasons I doubt I'll ever get confirmed. After he was defeated that night, his followers were obviously distraught. Although, I think Bellatrix was more furious than anything else. I believe she chose your parents not only because they were hated, but also because they were the other choice." He could tell Neville was still skeptical. He continued speaking as he reached for his bag and started sifting through it. "I know you don't believe me. It's a big thing to accept without proof, especially from someone you don't trust." Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out a small cloth bag. "Here. This is Veritaserum and lemon drops, our headmaster's favorite candy. Coat the candy with the potion and offer them to Dumbledore. It's not a lot, but it should be enough to get your answers." He held out the bag to Neville, who stared at it and didn't make a move to take it.

"Why are you telling me this? What do you want?"

"I can't tell you yet. You need to understand the truth first before I can tell you. I just think that you being the other possible Boy Who Lived means more than anyone ever thought and I'm going to need that."

Neville frowned. "I'm not joining you. I've heard the rumors. You're with You Know Who and I want no part in that."

"There are things going on that are far beyond what our simple-minded schoolmates can possibly understand. But you have experienced firsthand the misery that this war can bring. I want to do what I can to avoid the unnecessary devastation that is sure to occur if I choose another course, but I need you for that." Harry hopped off the desk and pushed the small bag into Neville's hands. "I don't have a lot of time, but I can give you three days. If you decide to help, meet me by the prefect's bathroom after dinner at nine. I know it isn't much, but I thought you deserved to know the full truth." At that, Harry turned and headed out the door, leaving a disconcerted Neville behind.

He headed to the Great Hall and plopped himself into a seat. He still had almost an hour before the rest of the school began rushing in for breakfast. Grabbing a nearby plate, he began piling food onto its surface while keeping an eye on the door. It was another ten minutes before he saw Neville slip in, determinedly not looking at him, though he could see the edge of the small bag he gave him poking out of the Gryffindor's pocket. He knew Neville wouldn't ignore what he shared if he was still holding onto the bag. Harry visibly relaxed, now that there was hope that Neville might be joining him. He turned his attention to his breakfast, slowly eating away at his pile of food.

He glanced up occasionally as more students entered the room. He saw Luna hurry in, shooting him a small smile before she joined her housemates. Draco and the others joined him about an hour before class and struck up conversation that Harry only half-heartedly joined in on. His mind was obviously elsewhere, but they had become so used to his tendency to drift off at times that they didn't push him.

With fifteen minutes until the start of class, the Great Hall began emptying quickly. Harry spotted Luna amongst the crowd, and absent-mindedly grabbed a muffin and wrapped it in a napkin before hurrying after her. He never lost sight of her blonde hair, but she quickly disappeared into her classroom. Realizing he'd have to wait until later, he changed direction and headed to his own class.

Harry entered his Transfiguration class and took his normal seat in the second row. A minute later, he was joined by Hermione, who seemed to have run the entire distance from the library. As she settled in her seat, Professor McGonagall marched in, casting a watchful eye over the class. Harry used the brief time she had her back toward them to pass the muffin he had grabbed over to Hermione. Though he had kept his gaze on McGonagall, he didn't miss the grin she gave him before taking a quick bite of the muffin. He saw her slip the remainder of the muffin in her bag right as McGonagall launched into the lesson.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Harry wasn't able to set up a meeting with Luna until after dinner. Happily, he had time since Hermione had agreed to skip that night's training in order to catch up on their assignments. He had managed to intimidate a first year into passing a note to Luna, informing her to meet in their usual classroom. Draco had the task of keeping Blaise occupied. As he took a bite of his pie, he watched as his best friend convinced the backstabber to head to the common room early under the pretense that they could work together on their Charms essay. They bid Harry good night and headed out the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle following close behind.

Harry finished his slice of pie, stood up, and made his way out of the Great Hall. Luna had been casting glances his way for the last ten minutes, so he was sure she wouldn't be far behind. He made it to their classroom without any trouble and pulled out two chairs before sitting in one of them. He only had to wait a few minutes before Luna was slipping in the door. Her wide eyes were trained on him as she took the seat in front of him.

"Hi Luna," he greeted her with a small smile.

"Hi," she returned.

Harry took a deep breath. "I asked you here because I have a request." He hesitated. "I need you to stay here in the castle for the holidays."

"Why?"

"Voldemort has discovered that you and I are friends and is trying to arrange your kidnapping. I would rather you be in the castle where there is some semblance of protection rather than out in the open."

Luna nodded. "Okay, but Daddy isn't going to like it. We had an expedition to Egypt scheduled. He's been sending me a letter every week. He's very excited."

"When this is over, I'll pay for you to go on ten expeditions to wherever you want."

Luna smiled. "I'll hold you to that."

Harry returned her smile. "You're taking this much better than I had expected."

Luna raised her hand and tapped at her temple. "I knew in general what was going on. I just wondered if you would tell me the truth."

"Since I did, does that make my future any better?"

Luna shrugged. "The future's not set in stone. We'll just have to see." She paused. "How's Hermione?"

Harry frowned and shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I wouldn't really know."

"Really? You two have been spending a lot of time together."

His frown deepened. "I told you about that. She asked me to train her."

"Is that all?"

"Yes." He paused and then he scowled. "What has Draco been telling you?"

Luna's smile was one that held many secrets. "This and that, but it's not important. Perhaps I'll stop by during one of your training sessions. I don't think she and I have been properly introduced." She stood up. "Guess I need to go write Daddy a letter. I'll send it in the morning."

Harry nodded, standing up also. "Okay, but try not to be alone outside of your common room. I doubt the portraits of Hogwarts are enough to discourage potential attackers. I'll feel better once everyone is gone for the holidays."

Luna nodded and paused for a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He returned it, awkwardly patting her back. She whispered her thanks before letting him go. She exited the classroom quickly. Harry sighed and shook his head before leaving also.

He made his way to his common room. There were few students in the hall, since dinner was over and most had already made it to their respective common rooms. He considered conducting a small patrol to catch those random students making out in alcoves, but decided his homework load was too large to enjoy the small pastime.

The last thing he needed was the interrogation he received when he tried to get into the common room. The urge to shred the aggravating portrait was growing by the day, but it was still intact when he was finally granted entrance. He trudged into the common room, clearly irritated over Phineas's behavior. He wasn't surprised at all when he found Hermione curled up on the couch with a book in her hands. The table in front of her was covered with books and parchment. He had a feeling there was more than just information for homework assignments in the pile.

When she heard him enter, she looked up and smiled. "Hello. I was just doing a bit of reading."

"That's not surprising," he said, voicing his earlier thoughts. He moved through the room and towards his door.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked as he passed the couch.

"To my room."

"Why don't you stay in here?" She began clearing off part of the table.

"You seem comfortable enough in here already. I'm just going to study in my room."

"Don't be ridiculous. There's plenty of room in here for the both of us. Besides, I could use the company since it's going to be rather late when I finish."

"Granger, really, I-"

"Hermione."

"What?"

"My name's Hermione. It's not difficult to say, so why don't you use it?"

Harry frowned. "Why should I? You still call me Potter."

Hermione smiled. "Only when you irritate me, which is most of the time unfortunately." She pointed to the empty space on the couch. "Now, sit Potter."

Harry scowled. "I'm not a dog."

"Obviously. A dog would be more obedient." She sighed. "Will you please join me?"

Harry stared at her for a moment, at a loss on what to do. Hermione stared right back, watching his internal struggle. If he didn't know the training it took to become a decent Legilimens, he would have thought the girl was reading his thoughts. He felt his resolve break as he looked into her chocolate eyes that were silently pleading for him to stay. He sighed in defeat. _When did I become so weak? _He rubbed his temple as he walked over to the couch, pointedly ignoring the grin Hermione was now sporting. _Merlin, what the hell is wrong with me?_

As a compromise to his internal struggle, he decided to ignore the Gryffindor and focus solely on his homework. Taking a seat on the couch as far away from Hermione as he could, he took out his books and parchment and began working on his Potions essay. Hermione seemed to return to her book since she stopped bothering him. With a sigh, he buried himself in his work.

They spent the next two hours in silence, only interrupted by the rustling of parchment or a shift in movement. Harry was so focused on his essay that he nearly forgot the young woman sitting on the other end of the couch. Snape was rather cruel, asking for a three-foot essay in the middle of the week. It was with great satisfaction that he finished the essay in such a short time when he had nothing to begin with in the first place. He rolled up the parchment and tossed it to the side, then extended his arms above his head as he stretched his stiff muscles.

When he lowered his arms, he looked over to find Hermione watching him. "What?"

Hermione smiled and closed her book, using her finger to hold her spot. "What do you plan on doing after Hogwarts?"

Harry stared at her in bewilderment. "What?"

"It's our last year here. NEWTs are only a few months away. I know your class schedule. They're really not tailored to any specific profession, so I was curious about your plans."

He blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely."

With a shake of his head, he turned back to his work. "We are not having this conversation."

"Why not? It's a perfectly valid question. Once we're done, we're expected to take up jobs, make a living, and be adults! You should have a plan for that."

He refused to look at her. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Oh, come on Potter."

"Just let it go."

"No."

"Fine. I can finish this in my room." He started gathering his things.

Frowning, Hermione reached out and place a hand on his arm, halting his movements. "There's no need for that. I want you to stay." She scooted across the couch next to him, not moving her hand. "It's just that…Well, haven't you thought about it?"

"No," he said through gritted teeth.

"Why not?"

He didn't reply, but his silence seemed to be enough of an answer for Hermione.

"You expect to die."

He yanked his arm away from her and turned in his seat until he was fully facing her. "I don't think about the future because it's too unclear. Why set expectations or goals when I have no way of knowing if I'll be around to achieve them?"

"You should set them because then you'll have something to look forward to, something to live for." She sighed. "If you go into this battle without any hopes of your own future, then you _will_ die because that is the goal that you've set for yourself. You need to plan for the future, so that when you _do_ make it through this, you'll have something to do other than stand there like an idiot."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at this, but didn't respond. He simply watched her, wondering if she'd give up on this crazy idea.

When she realized she wasn't going to get a response, Hermione groaned. "Come on, Potter. What do you want to do? Work for the Ministry? Become an auror? Be a Healer?" She paused and tilted her head, considering other options. "Be a professor?"

Harry looked at her in disbelief. "Are you insane, Granger? Who in their right mind would want to be a bloody professor?"

She shrugged. "I've considered it."

He rolled his eyes. "I think we've established that you're _not_ in your right mind."

She sighed. "Just think about it, okay? When we have this conversation again, I'd like for you to have at least considered some careers."

"I don't think so."

Hermione glared at him. "Don't make me drag Draco in this. I doubt you'd want both of us pushing you on this. He thinks the same as I do, but he's given me the chance to talk some sense into you."

"What? Do you two hold meetings about me or something?"

Hermione smirked as she slid back to her side of the couch. "Not meetings, exactly. But, we definitely talk about you quite a bit."

"And what is said?"

"That's between me and Draco. Perhaps if you behave, we'll let you in on a bit of it." She pulled her book back in her lap, cracking it open, but still focused on Harry. "Promise me you'll think about it."

Harry stared at her, drowning in the strange feelings her presence always brought on. Even Draco had avoided this conversation with him, knowing he found it absolutely unnecessary. But, this one girl seemed determined to lift him out of the dark hole he was in. He found himself nodding before he'd processed it. He pretended the smile that she now sported had no effect on him and returned to his homework, once again attempting to ignore her existence though finding it difficult to do this time around.

& ! & ! & ! & !

Really, you guys are awesome for sticking with me!

Please Review!

~Alive~


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: **If you don't know by now that JKR owns the world that includes Harry Potter, well then I'm saddened because it is pure awesomeness. I just own the plot of this story.

Probably my quickest update ever and this chapter was long...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

_Okay, so perhaps this wasn't the greatest idea._

Harry was only slightly surprised when she managed to flip him onto his back and pin him to the floor. A moment later, he rolled them, easily pinning her beneath him. She groaned in frustration and struggled to move him, bucking her hips in her efforts and effectively rubbing herself against his crotch.

_Yes, definitely a bad idea._

"Ugh, I can't do this! You're like a bloody rock, Potter!"

Harry snorted. "You'd probably have better luck with a rock."

Hermione groaned again and stopped struggling, breathing deeply as she tried to catch her breath. "I give up."

He shook his head. "Not letting that happen. You've got to do this."

"It's impossible!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not." He ignored the glare she sent his way. "Fine, you can't roll me, so show me what you're going to do if someone manages to pin you like this. You can't stay like this and your wand is out of reach. When someone has you pinned down and you can't get free, you become theirs to do with what they please. They'll have control. So what are you going to do get it back?"

He saw the determination return to her eyes. Before he could register it, she had twisted her head toward his right arm and sunk her teeth into the flesh at his wrist. He snatched it away, and she took the opportunity to use her free arm to push against his shoulder and pushed her hips up. He lost his balance and ended up on his back. Seconds later, she was on top of him, straddling his waist. His wand, which had been in his pocket, was in her hand, pointed at his chest.

He held up his hands in surrender, noting the blood trickling down his arm. "Dirty, but effective. I like it." He smiled at her with a hint of admiration.

She returned the smile and visibly relaxed. Her gaze shifted to his arm. "Did I hurt you?"

"Not really. I have something for it up in my room. I just need to wrap it up for now."

She nodded. "Are we done for today?" She asked tiredly.

"You are," he said, patting her leg.

She took the hint and shifted off of him, lying on the floor next to him as he sat up. "What do you still need to do?"

"I'm expecting someone." He stood up and offered her a hand, but she shook her head and closed her eyes. He watched her for a moment before going over to his bag, looking for something to use as a bandage.

"Who are you expecting?" She asked, her voice carrying easily across the quiet room.

He ripped an old shirt he had found and started wrapping it around his wrist. "Neville Longbottom."

It was true. Neville had shown up outside the prefect's bathroom as Harry had requested. The Gryffindor was clearly experiencing several emotions, but the one Harry could make out was anger, which was understandable. After a quick wizard's oath that nothing shared would be repeated, Harry told Neville everything, including the night he was marked, the reason he had joined Voldemort, and his recent Horcrux hunt. When Harry told Neville why he had decided to include the Gryffindor in his plans, Neville was clearly surprised, but agreed without hesitation. Now, he was coming that night to begin preparing.

"Neville? Why is he coming here?"

Harry was saved from answering by a buzzing sound that filled the room. It kept repeating as Harry walked toward the door and didn't stop until he cracked it open. He glanced into the hallway and saw Neville staring wide-eyed at Harry. Harry gestured for his new trainee to enter. Neville looked nervous as he passed Harry and entered the room. Harry followed closely behind, shutting the door behind them. Hermione was still in the middle of the floor, though her eyes were open and focused on the two boys.

Neville stopped in his tracks as his gaze fell on his haggard housemate. "Hermione?"

"Hello Neville." Her smile was one of exhaustion.

"What are you doing here?"

"I suppose the same thing you've come here for."

Harry interrupted the exchange, tapping Neville's shoulder and gesturing for him to take a seat in one of the chairs. Then, he walked over to Hermione and crouched next to her. Her eyes were barely open as she looked up at him.

"I doubt that floor is comfortable."

"No, not really."

"Why don't you go up to the common room then?"

"I'll go when you go."

"We're going to need the floor at some point."

She sighed and stretched her arms in the air. "Fine. Help me up. I'll sit in one of the chairs until you're done."

Harry rolled his eyes and instead slipped an arm under her knees and her back and lifted her from the floor.

"I didn't say pick me up."

"I doubt you would've made it far on your own two feet."

He carried her over to the seating area and sat her in the chair next to his. He handed over her discarded cloak, and she immediately curled up under it and closed her eyes. He shook his head, smiling to himself, and took his seat turning to Neville.

Neville's wide eyes and dropped jaw were enough to make Harry laugh, but he held it back. "We've been at this for weeks. Tonight was particularly difficult. Physical combat training." Neville shut his mouth and nodded in disbelief. "We won't make it to that." He glanced at Hermione, taking in her relaxed form and her soft, steady breathing. Convinced she was sleeping, he continued. "I have less than a month to teach you as many spells as I can. I don't know what's going to happen during the holidays—"He paused. "You need to learn Occlumency. Normally, I would teach you, but it's not at the top of my list. If I'm not…around after the holidays, find Granger. She can teach you."

"Where are you going and why do I need to learn it?"

Ignoring the first question, Harry answered. "Snape and Dumbledore have no qualms about reading the minds of students. I'm hoping the wizard's oath may protect your memories regarding me, but if I'm gone, I doubt that'll hold. If you don't see me, find her." Neville nodded. "Are you sticking around for the holidays?"

"Yes, I sent the letter to my Gran this morning. I doubt she'll be happy. This will be the first Christmas I won't be visiting my parents with her." He looked down at his hands, wringing them together.

Harry nodded in understanding. "I'm sure once this is all over, she'll understand. They'll all understand." He stood up, pulling out his wand. "Okay, grab your wand and come on. We don't have much time before we have to head back and I want to get as much done as possible."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After two grueling training sessions the night before, Harry expected to sleep half the day away and skip the Hogsmeade trip. However, sleep eluded him as he awoke right as breakfast was starting. His movements were sluggish as he pulled on a pair of jeans. He slipped on his shirt, fumbling with the buttons while he looked out of window. Fresh snow covered the ground, blinding in the sunlight. He grabbed a sweater and pulled it on over his shirt before picking up his coat and heading out the door. He caught sight of Hermione's open door and empty room. Briefly, he wondered what had her up so early, but he shook it off and headed downstairs.

Instead of going to the Great Hall, he strolled through the hallways, taking the path to the Quidditch pitch. There was still over an hour before they were allowed to leave for Hogsmeade. The stadium looked beautiful covered in a foot of snow. Though they had a game scheduled shortly after the end of the holidays, Draco had been kind enough to suspend practices until January. Harry suspected this was due to their plans over the holidays, but he was grateful just the same. He climbed the stands, clearing a spot for himself near the middle, and leaned back, using a pile of snow as a cushion while he stared up at the sky.

Last night had been testament of the difficult weeks to come. Longbottom had been eager to learn, but slow to succeed. Perhaps he was too used to how easy Hermione picked up on things. His patience had definitely been tested, but he had managed to teach him three spells. Longbottom's successes at those spells, however, were hit and miss. When they had wrapped up at two that morning, he had given Longbottom explicit instructions to practice before they met up that night.

Hermione had woken up towards the end of the session and had commended him on his teaching skills. Their walk back to their rooms was long, both lacking the energy to move faster than a crawl. Instead of the usual silence, they had talked about random things. She still hadn't brought up the topic of his plans after Hogwarts again, but he found himself thinking about it. He tried to push those thoughts away, but they returned after some time. What _would_ he do?

He glanced down at the field and saw a few students enter the stadium. He took that as his queue that breakfast was over and made his way out of the stands. When he made it to the Entrance Hall, he found a few stragglers still lining up to check with Filch before they could head out. Standing off to the side, he spotted Draco and Hermione talking in low voices. He tried to sneak up on them, but they spotted him and their conversation ceased.

"Okay, what were you two talking about?"

Hermione smiled. "You, of course."

"What about me?"

"Nothing terribly important. You two have fun!" She turned and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He asked, watching her retreating form.

"Homework," was the reply she tossed over her shoulder before he began climbing the stairs.

Draco nudged him with his elbow. "Come on. Filch is giving us that look."

Harry followed his friend, pausing for Filch to check his Hogsmeade list before heading out the castle. His thoughts were still wandering, so they walked in silence. It wasn't until they had passed through the gate that Harry spoke. "Where are the others?"

"Crabbe and Goyle already headed down. Blaise said he was going to hang around the castle today." Harry stiffened at this and Draco hurried to continue. "I saw Luna heading back to her common room with a group of Ravenclaws." At this, Harry relaxed. "What do you want to do in Hogsmeade?"

"I just want to stop in at Dervish and Banges. I need to get something for Luna."

"You don't want to grab a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks?"

Harry shook his head. "With the way my nights are going, I need to spend every free moment I have with my head buried in my books."

Draco nodded in understanding as they entered the town. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, that's okay. It shouldn't take me long and then I'll head right back to the castle."

"Okay then." Draco changed directions, heading for Honeydukes while Harry continued toward Dervish and Banges.

When he entered the shop, a bell chimed over the door. Harry had hoped to escape the crowds, but it seemed that most of the students had chosen this shop for their Christmas shopping. There was a line forming at the register while a couple of middle-aged women worked the floor, helping the potential buyers and making sure nothing came up missing. Harry made his way through the crowd, taking his time to browse each piece of equipment on display. By the time he had made one full circuit around the shop, he was agitated and empty-handed.

One of the workers spotted him and, after a quick glance at his forehead, pounced at him. "What can I help you with today, dear?"

"I'm looking for something for a friend. To protect her when she's in danger."

"We have a variety of Sneakoscopes available as well as an assortment of protective medallions and charmed jewelry," the woman offered as she gestured around the store.

"I'd prefer something that would alert me of her danger as well."

"Something for a girlfriend, I presume."

"No. She's more like a sister to me."

"Ah. Well, you can never go wrong with jewelry," she said as she made her way to a display case near the front of the store. "We use the finest stones for our pieces. Our jewelry sets are always cut from the same stone. This makes charms that are intended to connect the two pieces stronger." They had made it to the case and she gestured to the first row. "Here are some of our best pieces. For the females, we have necklaces and bracelets with a matching ring for the males."

Harry gazed into the case, weighing his options. "What charms are on the jewelry?"

"None at this time. We prefer to give our customers the option to customize the charms to their wishes."

Harry nodded. "How long will it take to cast the charms?"

"No more than ten minutes."

"And what guarantee do I have that these charms will work?"

"Mr. Kenton, our resident Charms specialist, is very skilled. He has studied under the best Charms Masters known in our time and is working to becoming a Master himself. His charms are not only strong, but they last for decades."

"I hope you're right. I'd hate to be disappointed in my purchases." The woman's eyes widened as he turned back to the case. "I'd like that sapphire set. I need a charm to alert me if she is in danger and a self-activating shield charm to protect her."

The woman nodded and pulled on a chain around her neck, revealing the key hanging from it. She opened the display case and carefully removed the sapphire bracelet and ring. "I'll take these to Mr. Kenton in the back."

Before the worker was able to lock the case, Harry stopped her and pointed to the case again. "I'll take that emerald set also with the same charms."

The woman glanced at him in curiosity, but wisely said nothing. She grabbed the emerald jewelry and locked the case. "Feel free to browse around. I'll let you know when your order is ready."

Harry nodded and moved through the crowd until he found a corner to stand in. For a few minutes, he watched as other students left the shop, some carrying several packages only to be replaced by more students looking to make their own purchases. When the woman finally returned from the back and waved him to the front counter he was more than ready to leave.

"That's two hundred galleons," the woman said as she wrapped up his purchases.

Harry reached into his pockets and pulled out two medium-sized Gringotts bags. "There's one hundred in each bag," he said.

Unfazed by the amount of money he had on hand, the woman took the bags and slid the packages toward him. "It's been a pleasure, Mr. Potter. Have a nice day."

Harry turned to leave the shop and found several pairs of eyes fixed on him. He rolled his eyes and pushed past them, ignoring the whispers that started in his wake. He normally didn't let on that he had a small fortune because, when others noticed, rumors began to circulate about where the money came from. The most outlandish rumor he's heard is that he had inherited the lost fortune of Slytherin. He's sure many would faint from shock if they were to find out he wasn't Slytherin's heir.

He trudged through the snow, dodging between the other bodies hurrying through the street. He clutched his packages in his hands and focused on returning to the castle as quickly as possible. By the time he had reached the gate to the school grounds, snow had begun to fall again. He knew it would be only a matter of time before the castle was full from students escaping the cold.

He marched up to the common room, stopping only to hide in an alcove to avoid a surly-looking Snape. Phineas was thankfully cooperative and let him in without a fuss. He entered the common room to find it surprisingly empty. Assuming Hermione had taken her studying to the library, he went into his room. He stowed his purchases in his trunk and grabbed his bag, filling it with his own schoolwork.

Wanting to avoid being disturbed, he left the common room and quickly made his way to the Room of Requirement. As he made the door appear, he made sure to include instructions that no one be allowed in until it was time for his training sessions to begin. He entered the familiar training room and walked over to the seating area where he dropped his bag on the table.

Deciding to start on his Charms essay, he pulled out his book and took a seat, tossing a leg over the arm of the chair. He couldn't say he was particularly interested in Charms and, with the little sleep he received the night before, it was not a surprise when he started to nod off. Finally, he gave in, shutting his eyes and relaxing his body as his head came to rest against the back of the chair.

_The pain was excruciating, originating from his scar and spreading across his skull. He gripped his head in his hands, willing the torture to cease. He only grew frustrated when he felt a sharp pain in his right temple. He hissed, trying desperately to focus. Against his better judgment, he decided to crack his eyes open so he could observe his surroundings._

_The room was small and dimly lit by small torches on either side of a thin door. The stone walls and wooden floor seemed to be covered in strange stains that Harry assumed was blood. The only thing in the room seemed to be the chair Harry was currently sitting in._

_His head throbbed and he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. When he opened them again, his wrists were bound to the arms of his chair. He struggled against the ropes, but made no progress. He tried to get rid of them with wandless magic, but nothing happened when he tried to cast the spells._

_Suddenly, he heard soft footfalls behind him. He tensed as they grew closer. Then, there was a voice that sent chills through his body. "Harry…"_

_Though it had only been one word, he knew exactly to whom the voice belonged. "My lord…"_

_He heard a snort before a figure moved around the chair and came into view. The Dark Lord towered over Harry, sporting a sneer. "Please, Harry, don't mistake me for a fool. We both know I'm no more your master than that ancient oaf of a headmaster. You may have my physical counterpart fooled, but I live in your head." He tapped the side of Harry's head at this last sentence, causing pain to flare up in Harry's temple._

_Harry frowned, trying to ignore the pain so he could focus on what he was being told. "M-my head?" It suddenly clicked and Harry glared up at the figure before him. "You're the piece of soul in me."_

_Voldemort nodded, placing his hands behind his back. "You were always rather smart, Harry. I have wanted to tap into that brilliance for some time, but you've been shutting me out for years. I'm pleased we could finally have this talk." He began to pace in front of Harry's chair. "We could do so much together."_

_Harry leaned back in his chair, a picture of nonchalance, though he could still feel a dull throb in his head. "A partnership with you would be disastrous, I'm afraid."_

"_You shouldn't deny it, Harry. We have similar goals and together we can achieve them."_

"_You want to rule the wizarding world, while I'm simply trying to…reform it."_

"_Is my goal not a reformation of sorts?"_

"_You're plotting genocide and a hostile takeover. I don't support either."_

_Voldemort's eyes flashed before he paused in front of Harry. "Perhaps we can reach a compromise. I suppose I can relent in ridding the world of the filthy Muggles and Mud—Muggleborns. I'm sure they would make excellent slaves."_

"_I doubt this would work."_

"_Of course it will. No one else dies and we would rule. Although, there is one exception." He waved his hand and someone appeared in the space in front of Harry. "I do think we need to get rid of this one."_

_The person was on their knees and bent over with their hands tied together behind their back. Though Harry couldn't see her face, he could easily recognize the bushy mane of hair framing her head. "What is Granger doing here?"_

"_You must kill her. She's annoying and useless and is only a distraction from our goals." He waved his hand once more and Harry was on his feet no longer tied to the chair with his wand in his hand._

_Harry shook his head slowly as he stared down at the girl. "She doesn't have to die."_

"_Yes, she does. She is weak and knows too much already."_

_Harry rolled his wand in his hand. "That's what memory charms are for."_

"_That won't suffice. Memory charms can be broken. Just kill her." Voldemort hissed the last part._

_At that moment, Hermione's figure moved, lifting her head to look up at Harry. He could see the dirt smeared across her face and the tears sliding down her cheeks. Her eyes lacked the fire he was used to seeing and instead were filled with fear and sadness. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "Please, Harry, don't do it."_

_Harry felt pain again, but this time it was in his chest. He shook his head with more conviction. "There has to be another way."_

"_There isn't. Now _kill_ her."_

"_No."_

"_What?"_

"_I won't kill her. Never." He tore his eyes away from her and faced Voldemort. "And I will never work with you."_

_Voldemort glared at him. "You may think you're powerful, Potter, but you're nothing but a child. You cannot defeat me. You and that Mudblood can never get rid of me."_

_Harry smirked, though he inwardly cursed himself as he realized why and how this little party was happening. "Worried? You should be. We will get rid of you and Voldemort will die. The world will finally be free of you and I'll make sure your name is dragged through the mud in the history books." The walls of the room were becoming smoother, firmer. Harry saw Voldemort glance around, taking in the change. "Understand that these are the last days of your existence. There's nothing you can do to stop me. Now, leave. Me. Alone." As he finished, the figure of Voldemort vanished from the now impenetrable room. For a moment, he heard the faint sound of an angered scream before it was abruptly cut off._

_He admired his work, taking in the steel walls. It had been awhile since he'd had to push out intruders, having been so successful in blocking them in the first place. He was pleased to know he still had the strength to defend his mind against attack._

"_Harry," a small voice whispered behind him._

_Harry spun around, shocked to find Hermione still on the floor. Usually when he constructs this room, nothing remained and it was impossible for anything to get in or out as there wasn't even a door. Yet, Hermione was still on her knees before him, sobbing quietly._

_He moved to her, kneeling in front of her and releasing her hands. As soon as her arms were free, she wrapped them around his neck, hugging him close to her. He sighed, wrapping an arm around her waist and patting her back with the other._

_She buried her face in the crook of his neck and tried to control her sobs. "I thought he was going to kill me."_

"_You're fine now. He's not going to hurt you."_

"_Why did he want to kill me?"_

"_I'm not sure exactly."_

_She lifted her head to look at him. "Thanks for not listening to him."_

"_I never listen to him. I choose my own path."_

"_And where do I fit on this path?"_

_Harry frowned as he stared into her eyes. "I don't know."_

"_I think you do…" She glanced at his lips and leaned forward. Harry immediately tensed up. She paused and gave him a small smile before closing the distance between them._

_When her lips brushed against his, he was frozen. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that she was kissing him, even as she applied more pressure to his lips. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and, realizing he had stopped breathing, pulled back slightly to gasp for air. Hermione took advantage of his parted lips and kissed him again, slipping her tongue into his mouth with eagerness._

_As her tongue slid across his, his shock dissolved and he began kissing her back with vigor. Their tongues battled for a moment before he won and eagerly began to explore the new territory of her mouth. He gripped her hips tightly, pulling her into his lap._

_He found himself getting lost in the kiss, never wanting it to end. It felt like he had waited ages for this moment, and now that he had kissed her, he couldn't get enough. A swirl of emotions filled his heart, many he could not and did not care to name. But one swiftly moved in, dominating the others and gripping at this heart. He hadn't felt it in years, but he still knew what it was._

_Fear forced him to push the young woman in his arms away. He scrambled backwards, doing what he could to get away from her as she looked on in confusion. He didn't stop until his back collided with a wall._

"_Harry?" Hermione whispered, clearly lost at his sudden change. _

_Harry couldn't really figure it out either, but followed his instincts._

_Hermione made to move toward him, but he shook his head and pressed back against the wall. "Harry." Her voice was stronger as she began to move toward him._

"_No, stay back," he pleaded, voice filled with panic. His back slid along the wall as he rose to his feet. He looked for a way out, ignoring her as she called out to him again. He could sense her getting closer and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get a grip on his nerves._

"Harry!"

Hermione's yell seemed to be right next to his ear. His eyes snapped open to meet a pair of chocolate eyes mere inches away. Startled, he pushed back, expecting to meet the wall. Instead, he only felt air as he manage to flip over the arm of his chair and land on the floor. Hermione was immediately at his side, asking if he was okay, but he quickly climbed to his feet and moved away, putting a few feet between them.

"Harry, what's gotten into you?" Hermione asked, placing her hands on her hips.

Harry didn't answer. His eyes raked over her, not sure what to expect. He glanced around and, seeing that he was in the training room, took a deep breath. Hermione watched him closely. Her lips parted as she was about to speak, but she was interrupted by a buzzing sound. They both looked toward the door as it opened a moment later and a familiar Ravenclaw entered the room.

"Luna?" Harry watched in bewilderment as the short girl crossed the room toward them. "What are you doing here?"

Luna smiled as she stopped in front of him. "I said I would stop by. I think we all need to get better acquainted." She tilted her head to the side, staring at him, and he noticed he was still tensed up. He struggled to relax, but he noticed sadness slip into her expression. He waited for her to say something, but she didn't. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes opened, her smile was brighter and she spun around to face Hermione, who was glancing between the two of them curiously. "Hello, I'm Luna Lovegood." Instead of stretching out a hand, Luna stepped up and hugged Hermione.

Harry observed the two girls. Hermione seemed surprised by Luna's friendliness, but tentatively hugged her back. Her surprised expression morphed to one of confusion as Luna didn't let go. That's when Harry could hear the soft tones of Luna whispering to Hermione. Hermione glanced at Harry more than once as the two girls remained embraced for the next few minutes. He wanted to step closer and hear what was said, but knew if he was meant to hear, Luna would have told him. When the girls broke apart, Hermione frowned at the girl before turning her gaze on him. The look in her eyes was something he couldn't name, so he instead turned to Luna, who had taken a seat in the chair he had vacated moments before.

"Luna, what are you doing?"

"Oh, don't mind me. I just thought I'd stick around for a while." She pulled out a magazine, which Harry knew was the Quibbler.

"Don't you think you should be heading back to your common room?" He ignored the part of him that thought being alone with Hermione was a bad idea.

"So, you want me wandering the castle _alone_?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Did you not come here alone?"

Luna shook her head. "A few housemates were kind enough to escort me to this corridor. They made sure it was clear before they left."

Harry sighed. "Fine."

Reluctantly, he turned toward Hermione, who was staring at him openly. She blushed as his eyes met hers, and his eyes widened at her strange behavior. "Alright, Granger, let's get started."

"Okay," she said, looking away. "What are we doing today? Combat training?"

Harry shook his head as he walked past her to the training floor. The last thing he needed was two hours spent touching Hermione in anyway. "We'll be working on spells." As he said this, two practice dummies glided to the middle of the floor.

Hermione's disappointment was clear. "There's more spells?"

"There's always more, Granger." He walked up to one of the dummies and stood next to it. "Now, let's see how many of these you can destroy."

Two hours later, they were both distracted by Hermione's attempts at a freezing spell. The room had provided a glass of water to use as a target, which Harry had placed in the middle of the floor. Hermione could easily freeze the water in the glass, but Harry wanted her to focus the spell and only freeze a portion of the water. Hermione had broken the glass more than once as her frustrations grew.

"You're not concentrating, Granger."

"I bloody am, Potter."

"Doubtful. You've done nothing but shatter the last three glasses."

"Maybe if you'd shut your trap, I'd be able to do this."

"The battlefield is not a quiet place."

"Shut it, Potter."

Opening his mouth to retort, Harry was interrupted by the familiar buzzing sound filling the room.

"I'll get it!" Luna's voice carried over to them. Startled, they both turned to look at the girl, each having forgotten she was there.

Luna hurried to open the door and Harry spotted Neville in the doorway. Harry frowned as he watched Luna pull Neville into the room and drag the startled boy over to the seating area. The small girl pushed the tall boy into a chair and she took a seat in the chair next to him. Harry raised an eyebrow as she looked over at him, gave a simple "Carry on," and turned back to her new companion, striking up a conversation.

Harry watched them for a minute. He wondered idly if the two had ever talked before. He could never tell with Luna. Some of her visions excited her and caused her to jump the gun a little. The first time he had met her, she had run up to him and gave him a hug, thanking him for saving her. He had no clue what the strange girl was talking about until he ended up saving her from a basilisk attack three months later.

When he finally turned back to Hermione, she was smirking at him. "What do you think is going on there?"

Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Nothing."

Hermione spared a glance at the couple. "I doubt it's nothing and I don't think you truly believe that either."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, you're looking at Neville like he's Voldemort."

"I just don't think either of them can afford distractions right now."

"I think they'll be fine. Someone needs to find happiness in all this mess. They're as deserving of it as anyone else."

Harry paused before turning back to the glass. "You've got ten more minutes to get this, Granger, and then we're calling it a night."

Hermione stared at him for a moment before sighing and raising her wand, aiming at the glass once more.

& ! & ! & ! & !

Reviews are awesome, so please leave one! I read every single one!

~Alive~


End file.
